The Grand Tournament
by Kurai-Jaugen-Doragon
Summary: Aww, look, it's the homicidal couple! During a month long vacation from the tournament, Duran and Angela spend some...er...quality time. DURAN X ANGELA, duh. R
1. Author's NoteDisclaimer

The Grand Tournament  
Author's Note:  
  
Sd3 doesn't belong to me. Damn. If it were, don't you worry, it'd be much more   
exciting ^_^ Romance wise that is...  
Anyway, I got the idea for this fic while watching "Flowers of Blood" on Yu Yu Hakusho.   
You know, the one where Kurama fights for the first time in the Dark Tournament. It   
suddenly hit me...((maybe it was because my sister smacked me with a pillow, but   
whatever)) that I should make a fic about a tournament for SD3!   
  
Ta-daa!  
  
...yeah, okay.  
  
So this is it, the fic you've been waiting for! Hopefully, this will jump-start my   
inspiration again to continue the other ones because I've had writers block...but in the   
meantime, here ya go!  
  
----Kurai 


	2. The Flyer

The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 1  
Duran stretched languidly after barging out of the inn's doors. He hadn't gotten much rest last night, listening to Carlie snore and Angela talk in her sleep about some ex-boyfriend of hers. The morning air was crisp, though, and instantly woke him up fully. Byzel was a fine town, if only the council hadn't been so paranoid about letting them in out of fear of Altena.   
'Maybe if Forcena had been like that we wouldn't have had the attack by Altena...' Duran's brow furrowed. Damn Koren! Damn him to hell!! What was the Queen of Reason thinking anyway? Just as he finished his thought, Angela stepped outside too.  
"...I...am...not a morning person..." she whined, rubbing her forehead. Duran smirked and the two paused to smile at each other for a tranquil moment when the last member of their party burst through the doors.  
"CARLIE WANT BREAKFAST! BREAKFAST! PANCAKES! WAFFLES! Come on!" She screeched, making some of the other early risers on the streets around them turn their heads in surprise, raising eyebrows. Duran and Angela sighed and followed Carlie out into the heart of Byzel to the nearest waffle house.  
  
  
  
After the half-elf engulfed her third helping of pancakes, she sat back and looked at her companions' faces. Angela shook her head in disgust, but Duran was looking at a poster next to their booth.  
"...Duran what are you doing?" Angela whimpered, unhappy that he had lost interest in her so quickly.  
"...There's a tournament on the Island of Warriors!" Duran cheered standing up in his chair and doing a little dance. Mind you, Duran isn't exactly the best dancer, so it looked like something between a rhino stomping and a walrus flopping around.  
Angela blinked.  
"What?!?" She asked in confusion, looking like Duran like he was from planet chauvinistic-mercenary-with-a-bad-case-of-poor-attention-span. Duran grinned wider.  
"I've heard of it before, King Richard told me," he explained, sitting back down, "It's a open Tournament where traveling warriors or great fighters from armies come to battle for lots of Luc! Only..."  
"Only what? It sounds like a good idea! We have no leads right now anyway. Not to mention hardly ANY money." Angela protested, but Duran shook his head.  
"It's really, really dangerous. Since it's open call, the most ruthless fighters come in because no one cares about dirty fighting. A lot of my friends died in battle. But still!" he perked up again, "It's a lot of money! One MILLION Luc!"  
Angela's jaw dropped. She blissfully entered a daydream of buying thousands of new outfits, buckets of make-up, several male strippers and other toys with the prize money. She only snapped out of it when Carlie gave her signature high-pitched squeal.  
"Carlie can buy STUFF!" she giggled, "Carlie can buy stuff for Heath...and Mick...and Grandpa...and Duran..."  
"What about me?" Angela inquired innocently, batting her eyelashes.  
"You don't get anything! You too selfish!" Carlie taunted, sticking out her tongue at the now fuming Princess.  
"Hey! Money isn't the reason to join, it's really about..." Duran's speech fell short, however, as he watched helplessly as his two friends began throwing insults.  
"...You both are hopeless..." he sighed and dug back in to his breakfast.  
  
  
  
"That's 150 Luc per person. The Island of Warriors is quite a long way away from here." The captain asked, holding out his hand. Duran's face contorted as he handed over the money hesitantly. The three Mana Heroes boarded the ship seconds before it began to sail.  
"Glad we made it on time!" Duran said cheerfully, dropping his pack to the ground and sitting on a crate. Angela scowled.  
"That was the last of our money...we have to win the tournament now!" She groaned, sitting on a crate opposite of Duran. Carlie contented herself by looking over the gunwale* of the ship into the water below. Sighing, Duran finally replied to Angela.  
"It won't be easy. I hear that every year, a demon or two sneaks in to fight...that's why so many people die," he remarked, looking into the sky, "Magicians too. Any kind of fighter, it isn't always a swordsman even though they're common there."   
"Wouldn't it be a thing if Koren ended up there," Angela pondered, twirling her hair, "A good combination of both demon and magician." The knight smirked at the princess and both broke out laughing.  
"Well...we'll make it, after all, we are those chosen by the fairy!" Duran proclaimed proudly. Angela and Carlie both gave a cheer in reply, and watched the seagulls above them sail the winds.  
  
  
  
Hey, sorry this is so short, but the next chapter will be a LOT longer. Who will join the Tournament? What will be the outcome? Who are the mysterious warriors?  
  
Stay tuned! ...Or...keep...reading. Whatever.  
  
*Gunwale: top rail of a ship. Kurai knows stuff! She be smart. 


	3. The Island of Warriors

The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 2  
Quick A/N: Wow guys! Thanks for the reviews! It means a lot to me to know I have fans ^_^;;  
Stepping out of the bushes, Duran looked ahead at the seemingly endless dirt path ahead of them and the giant coliseum in the distance. He sighed.  
"We got a long way ahead of us, you two ready?" he asked, turning around to Carlie and Angela, and sighed again to find their jaws dropped to the ground.  
"THAT far???" Angela screeched, "I can't walk that much! These are news shoes..."  
"Gran'pa once told Carlie about Child Labor laws! If you make me walk that much, you'll get time out!"   
"Hey!" Duran shouted over their moaning, "We rest when we get there, the tournament is still two days away. We'll have plenty of time to rest up." He explained, and started walking, hacking at hapless tree branches that weren't even in his way. His companions sighed and began to walk after him.  
After two hours of walking, the group settled down near a brook for a small rest. Carlie played with ladybugs in the grass while Duran and Angela sat on a rock nearby.  
"So tell me more about the tournament, I'm still a little unclear. What are some of the things you heard?" Angela inquired, twirling her hair.  
"I already told you that some demons eventually get their way in..."  
"Underworld demons? Since the Dark Prince opened the bind?"  
"Yeah, exactly," Duran continued, and took out his sword to polish it, "They have extraordinary powers, a lot similar to Koren's, but far more sinister." Angela snorted. "I also heard once that sometimes competitors mysteriously 'disappear' before matches, found later in a stream with rocks tied to them. Others are found in their rooms, looking like they exploded or something. So, we just need to be careful and stick together at all times."  
"Like we are now?" Angela asked sarcastically.  
"What do you mean?"  
"It's quiet." She replied, and it took the mercenary a few moments to understand what she meant.  
"Carlie!!!"  
"Finding flowers for Duran..." Carlie sang, skipping over rocks and picking up stray wildflowers in the forest, "Giving them to friends, and not to stupid selfish purple haired meanie princess...la la la..." she continued, humming with no real melody. She was so content in her happiness that she didn't notice a small shadow jumping from tree to tree above her.  
"OOH!" she squealed, coming across a perfect blue flower in a field of pink. Walking over towards it, she heard a small "fwump" behind her, and turned around to check.  
"Duran? Meanie Princess?" she asked, and when nothing else moved, she shrugged and continued to walk to pluck the blue rose from the earth. The shadow behind her creeped out, crawling close to the ground towards the small girl. Almost upon her, it stepped on a twig without meaning. Carlie barely had time to turn around before the predator decided to finally just pounce on the half-elf.  
Carlie's scream echoed through the forest.  
Angela picked up the high-pitched shriek with her Elven ears, slightly twitching them.   
"Duran!" she yelled ahead of her to her companion who was bushwhacking his way through the dense foliage, "She's this way!" she pointed to the right, and quickly ran off with the warrior quickly on her heels.  
  
~*~  
  
Carlie took another swing at the demon before climbing to the lowest branch on the tree. Unfortunately, the demon's claw grabbed her by her weak slipper and began to pull her short body down to it; it's mouth watering with anticipation. The halfling screamed again, just as Duran and Angela entered the clearing.  
"Carlie!" the screamed together, and as Duran rushed forward with his sword, Angela began to chant a spell. The demon twisted itself abruptly, facing Duran and startling him a bit. The creature had no eyes, only a steaming red mouth with hundreds of dagger-like teeth lining all sides. Its front half was like a wild beast, with jet fur running from its head down to its claws. The other half was similar to a dragon, burgundy scales glistening in the light that shimmered in between the tree leaves. A long tail twitched back and forth, slamming into the ground with tremendous force.  
Duran leapt for the creature, spinning in the air and bringing his sword down to the demon's lower side, sending it slightly into the air. Airborne, the demon was helpless to Angela's finally summoned spell: Holy Ball. The spheres of light hit the creature in the chest, and it disintegrated into ash upon contact with the holy light. Carlie panted in the tree and finally fell down into Duran's arms and cried.  
"...Let's go. We don't know if there's more of them..." Angela begged, but just as she said that, several roars came from beyond the grove.  
"...You're a jinx." Duran snarled affectionately, and ran with Carlie in his arms back the way they came with Angela dashing after, holding her staff just in case.  
They just reached the brook again to find more of the same breed of demon crossing the river to get to them. Angela yipped and ran ahead of Duran back onto the path, leaving a trail of dust. Duran followed, trying to jostle   
Carlie who kept sobbing and his broad sword to keep both from contact. The demons pursued, gaining speed, and Duran could swear he could feel their fetid breath at his heels. Angela twirled around and fired another Holy Ball, knocking out three demons, but it seemed as if three more appeared in their place.  
"What the hell are these things?" Duran cried out running faster to keep up with Angela. Both could see the coliseum just ahead, both wondering if they were going to make it. Using their remaining strength, they pushed themselves onto the stone bridge, leading to the Grand Arena, only to find the large gate closed.  
"NO!" Angela screamed and began to whack the gate with her staff, "LET US IN! PLEASE!" Her cries were in vain, however, as the three Mana Warriors soon found themselves against the steel gate, pushing against it to stay away from the demons, which were now just yards away, slowly stalking in. One moved to the front, it's mouth drooling, and got ready to pounce. Duran held up his sword and Angela prepared a spell when the demon pounced...  
...And instantly twisted in mid-air, howling in pain from the shuriken the struck it's chest.  
"Son of a..." Duran began, and watched in amazement as Hawk flipped out of the tree and onto the ground before them.  
"Hey guys! Long time no see!" he greeted, waving to his friends. He turned back in time to jab his knife into another beast's chest, sending it howling over the bridge. He darted about, throwing more shurikens at his enemies and dicing them apart until the remaining whimpered off like dogs. The thief panted and sheathed his weaponry. Turning back he grinned.  
"Harunoki. Ash demons. They usually live in the dark places in the desert, but they can survive anywhere. You guys alright?" he asked, and was pleased to see his friends nod.   
"Why are you here Hawk?" Duran asked, adjusting his hold on Carlie to sheath his sword. Hawk smiled gently.  
"Why, to enter the Grand Tournament of course!"  
Dun dun dun duuuun! Hawk is in! Yeah, use your imagination to guess who else is there :p Review please! I told ya this chapter would be longer! And it gets better in the next one! Woo hoo! 


	4. Battle Lineup

Okay...wow! Only two chapters and six reviews! Awesome! Hehe, okay, I'm placing a small warning ahead of time; there's some slight (okay, there IS) yaoi in this chapter. If you don't read magna or see anime often, that means boy/boy love. Hey, who said this fanfic wasn't gonna have romance, eh? So...don't flame me, because I'm telling ya right now so if you don't like it, you don't read it.  
  
Still cute as hell though, hell, I'd read it even if I was a homophone...which I'm not ^_^;;;  
  
---Kurai  
*~*  
  
The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 3  
  
~*~  
  
"No way!" Duran shouted happily, embracing Hawk, "So are we!"   
"Alright! Hey, follow me, I just registered!" Hawk replied cheerfully and walked over to the side of the gate where a large orb was implanted in the wall. Duran blinked; why hadn't he seen that when the demons were after them? Hawk pressed his palm to the orb, which began to glow and the steel gate automatically opened.  
Following the Thief inside, the party's eyes bathed in the sight of a large, exuberant hotel, and just beyond that was the Arena, partially crowded by fans and security.  
"Doesn't the tournament start tomorrow?" Duran asked, and Hawk nodded.  
"Yeah, but a couple of fanatics are trying to get in early for good seats. You know, the blood-splattering section." Hawk said, and Angela cringed.  
"Sickos. Well, let's hurry and get to the hotel..." the Magus said quickly and dashed forward into the glass doors. She stopped and became stunned by the beauty of the hotel; almost everything seemed to be plated in golden brass, marble flooring, rich burgundy curtains and ivy growing on the walls. The front desk was ready for their arrival; attendants watching the magician stand in the doorway with her jaw dropped.  
"...Yeah I know." Hawk laughed, and pulled Angela along to the front desk, where Duran and Carlie had already began giving their information.  
"...and Duran Starknight. Three in all." Duran reported dutifully as Carlie twirled around in circles at his feet, humming.  
"Alright then, if you'll please follow the Guider Light-"  
"The what??" Angela asked, snapping out of her daydream. The attendant smiled.  
"This." He replied, and waved his hand to create a sphere of light floating in mid air. The light drifted over to Duran who backed up politely.  
"Sire." The light spoke quietly, almost in a whisper, "Do you have any baggage that I may be able to carry?" Duran blinked and the light and reluctantly spoke back.  
"N-n-no, no thanks..."  
"What about this? Is this not baggage?" the light murmured and lashed out a tentacle around Carlie and picked her up by her middle.  
"EEEEK! Put Carlie down! PUT CARLIE DOWN!" the halfling screamed, wriggling to be free. The light let go of her and seemed to flicker, as if blanching in confusion.  
"It lives? How can something so small live?" The light asked, floating down to Carlie. Carlie growled and smacked the light with her hand, sending it wobbling off to the side.  
"I'm not that little! Carlie fifteen years old!" She squealed unpleasantly, crossing her arms. The light righted itself and flew back up to a normal height.  
"My apologies. Please follow me." It spoke and floated down the hallway to a stairwell, and began to float straight up. The party followed, bouncing up the stairs quickly to keep up with the drifting being until they reached the third floor, which they then followed the light down a long hallway.  
"You are here for the Tournament. I advise you to be cautious, I have seen many competitors enter the residence today, and they look quite fierce." The Light spoke tonelessly, stopping in front of a door, "Room 369. Here are your quarters." The light turned to the three companions and ejected three tentacles from its body once more to jab their hands lightly, "Now you will be able to enter and leave your room and the Main Gate as you please. Enjoy your stay." It concluded, and dissipated into small particles. Duran shook his head.  
"That was WEIRD. That thing sounded like it had no emotions." He spoke, placing his hand over the orb similar to the one at the Main Gate, which glowed and opened the door for him.  
"It's not living. It's just an implement created by the tellers at the front desk. Magic is very abound here, even though most fighters use swords." Hawk explained and halted at the doorway, "I need to get back to my own room, stop by sometime! Hey! Why don't we also have dinner tonight?"  
"Good idea! It'd be nice to catch up on things." Angela commented and waved goodbye to the thief. Hawk waved back and headed back for the stairwell. The Magus turned back and fell in love with their room, which had the same designs as the entrance hall, only that there were three four-poster beds and a large glass door, which leaded to a balcony. The three companions saw that the sun had already set, and the moon had not yet risen.  
"Carlie love this place! So pretty..." the half-elf cooed, and ran over to her bed and scrambled on. She began to jump as Duran set his sword down in the corner and turned to Angela.  
"She's right. This place isn't half bad...it may be even better than Forcena castle!" Duran exclaimed, when suddenly every light in the bedroom went out. "Oh shit! Karma! I didn't mean it!" Duran wailed, but Angela fumbled for the door.  
"Damnit, I knew this place would have a flaw!" she whined, and placed her hand on the door to open it. The hallway was also dark, and she heard another door open and close. Heavy clunking echoed through, and the swishing of clothing joined it.  
"Blackout, naturally. I wouldn't be surprised if a demon was behind it, trying to steal something." A voice came through, which sounded vaguely familiar to Angela's ears, but she was too panicked to recognize it.  
"Probably," the Princess replied, and fumbled with her staff, "I'll get a light..." she began to chant, and was surprised to hear someone chant along with her, once the spell was cast and her light appeared, she was startled to see another light pop up right after. When her eyes adjusted and focused, they soon after popped out.  
An eerie silence followed.  
"AHHHHHHHHH!" they screamed together, Angela's soprano voice combining with the other spellcaster's medium alto. Both lights went out.  
"IT'S YOU!" she screamed, and ran back to the doorway.  
"It's who? It's who?" Duran demanded, squinting in the dark. He was only able to see two dark purple orbs floating in mid-air, round with confusion.  
"...Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit...of all the places in the WORLD..." the male voice spoke again, and his light flared. Koren's young face appeared in the dark, glaring at Angela, "Don't tell me you joined the Tournament."   
"We did! And if I fight you, it'll be the end of you Koren!" Angela screeched, and the two began to fly insults at each other. Just as the lights flew back on, Koren and Angela were in a tangle of limbs; biting, scratching, pulling, burning, cursing...  
"Hey! Get up!" a deep alto voice boomed, and Koren was picked up by the back of his shirt and dragged back, just as Angela was pulled back by both Duran and Carlie. Duran looked up in surprise to see the black mercenary, who he now knew was called the Darkshine Knight, pulling Koren back from the Princess. "No reason to start fightin' now, Koren. Wait until the...hey!"  
The wizard broke lose and dashed toward Angela again only to be stopped by a long, wooden rod placed in front of him. But what truly made him stop was the sharp, curved blade at the end of it. He turned his head slowly to see a grinning clown face in another doorway.  
"...Deathjester." Koren snarled and pulled away back to Darkshine. The Deathjester stepped out and bowed.  
"Nice to see you Master Koren of the Red Lotus," Koren growled at hearing his most honorable title be mocked, "Nice to see you this evening. My my, did I interrupt something?" he asked, his high voice making everyone present shudder slightly. Duran stepped forward.  
"Get back into your room. We have no reason to fight now. It's obvious we're all here for the tournament," everyone nodded, "So we should just wait until then to rip each other apart...okay? Peace until then." Duran blinked at his own statement, "What the hell am I saying...?"  
"No. No, it's a fine way to settle things," the Darkshine Knight agreed, placing a hand on Koren's shoulder, drawing him back slightly, "Peace until then. Everyone agree."   
Everyone nodded except for Koren who fidgeted slightly until Darkshine tightened his grip, then the wizard nodded as well.  
"Righ' then. Let's just get that started then by having dinner. C'mon then." The Knight stated, and began to walk down the hallway, nearly dragging Koren behind him. The Deathjester hesitated slightly.  
"I don't eat your food. I'll simply wake up my associate to join you instead." He insisted, and went back into his room. Everyone in the hallway stood silent until a large whapping sound startled them, then the muffled shouts puzzled them. Finally, the door reopened, and out came a young man wrapped in a bed sheet.  
"I need sleep!" He whimpered and tried to dive back into his room, silver-purple hair flashing but the Deathjester caught him and turned him back around. Struggling, the Jester finally cupped a hand around the man's mouth and turned to face everyone.  
"Heath! Act like a human bei-YEEOWCH!" he shouted, and yelped when Heath bit his hand, and dove back into the room. He opened the door back up and glared at his "partner".  
"At least let me put some clothes on you idiot!" Heath shouted, turning red and slamming the door again. Deathjester shook his head.  
"...He'll be at dinner." He stated and went back into his room.  
Silence. Angela cleared her throat.  
"Well...that was interes-"  
"HEATHIE!" Carlie screeched and began to tug on the locked door, banging with her Morning Star and crying. Angela sighed and grabbed her staff, and began to use it as a crowbar to get Carlie off the door. The others sighed.  
"This is going to get really really weird..." Duran moaned and shook his head, laughing slightly. The Darkshine Knight joined in lightly, then paused to check on Koren.  
"...Koren?"  
The young magician had turned the color of his cape, and had his head turned away from Deathjester and Heath's doorway. The Darkshine Knight's eyes went from their happy state to a confused, round shape.  
"...You okay?" He asked, and poked his companion with an armored finger. Koren shuffled away slightly. "C'mon! What is it?"  
"...He...he...uhm...wasn't wearing anything..." Koren mumbled, turned even redder, and dashed inside of his room, slamming the door. Duran blinked and began to laugh.  
"Don't tell me he's..." the Swordmaster choked out between guffaws. Darkshine's eyes returned to their usual scowl, and Duran shut up instantly. Anyone would with a death glare from a hulking piece of metal that just happened to have a living thing in it.  
"...Let's get ready for dinner." The Knight proclaimed, just as Angela had finally un-clung Carlie from the door, despite the fact she was still screaming.  
"...Right. Meet you in ten..." Angela mumbled, shoving Carlie into the door with Duran right behind her.  
  
~*~  
  
Approaching dinner in fine armor, Duran stepped into the room and observed around him. Several warriors had already sat down, sizing each other up in the corners of their eyes. Angela appeared, wearing a slightly less revealing dress than her Magus uniform, and Carlie came prancing down in her usual white Bishop robes, not caring enough to dress up. Duran walked over casually to the service platform.  
"Excuse me, can we get a table?" He asked, and the waiter blinked.  
"Do you have reservations?" the waiter replied, looking at the Swordmaster with contempt. Duran blanched.  
"Reservations?"  
"Get out of the way you idiot..." Koren muttered darkly behind him and stepped up to the waiter. Duran scowled. "Reservations under Lotus. For nine."  
"NINE? There's only going to be seven..." Angela began to argue, but Koren shook his head.  
"Your friends are also here, I know that much. I thought..." Koren blinked and looked at his hand, "...I thought it would be a nice gesture to invite them..." he read tonelessly at scribbles on his hand, looking for the Darkshine Knight for approval. The knight smacked his forehead.  
"Right this way, sir." The waiter bowed, and showed the party to their table. After they sat down, Duran began to look around.  
"...These people don't look so tough." He said aloud, grinning. Several around him turned around and glared, making his table companions shrink slightly and Duran shake his head quickly.  
"No no no! I don't mean it like that! I mean...oh shit..." he muttered as one began to stand up. Just as the man began to pull out his dagger, he fell to the ground in a flash of purple light, looking like a frostbitten fire survivor. Duran blanched and turned back around to see both Koren and Angela with their hands raised in his direction.  
"Funny. I used Ice Smash, what did you use?" Angela asked, turning to Koren.  
"Fireball. Interesting effect..." he stated, standing up to look at the charred and frozen character before he was dragged away by waiters. Duran gulped and looked up to see Hawk and a few other familiar faces approach.  
"Hawk! Lise! Kevin! Glad you're all here!" Duran exclaimed happily, embracing all three at the same time.   
"...Nice to see you too Duran..." Lise choked, managing a smile. Kevin was the only one who didn't seem to mind the bear hug.  
"Duran! Long time see not! You still strong, me see, sit sit, we eat now!" he grunted, sitting down next to his friend, leaving only one seat next to Angela open for Heath.  
The young mage soon approached and took the seat silently, smiling slightly.  
"Sorry for earlier, he's not exactly the best person to wake someone up. He just pokes you until you get so upset you whack him with your pillow." He explained, setting himself up politely, wearing robes of silver, his hair neatly done with a tiara placed across his forehead, an Alexandrite stone hanging down. Only Duran noticed Koren turning away again, blushing profusely.  
A few minutes went by, and the Mana Heroes told each other what had been going on, and their former enemies explained tournament rules.  
"...Once you get out of the stone platform, you have ten seconds to get back in, even if you're seriously injured." Heath explained, taking a sip of water, "They're strict. And they allow deaths to occur all the time, not just knockouts."  
"I heard that you set rules before each fight, so both opponents know what to do." Darkshine added, cutting into his steak with no trouble. Koren hadn't eaten anything yet, instead just fumbled with his food. Setting his water glass down again, Heath blinked.  
"Not hungry, are you?" he asked, and Koren jumped. He was able to keep his blushing down and his voice remained slightly calm when he said he wasn't hungry. Heath nodded and turned away, covering his mouth with his hand. Angela looked at him to find the Mirage Mage fighting back a giggle. She turned to the Darkshine Knight and raised her eyebrows. Darkshine nodded, and Angela nudged Heath and nodded her head in the direction of Darkshine. The magician smiled and stood up, trading places with the Darkshine Knight, and sat down next to Koren.  
The Crimson Wizard stopped moving.  
"...If that's all you're having, you really mustn't be hungry," Heath chuckled and poked at Koren's meager plate with a fork, "Go on and have a few bites."  
Koren swallowed hard and sat up straight. Darkshine's eyes flicked and Angela bit her nails slightly. Everyone else blinked; what was going on? The wizard picked up both fork and knife and began to cut the salad carefully into small pieces not missing one bit, until the entire meal look like a jigsaw puzzle. Afterwards, he set his cutlery down and turned back to Heath.  
"...I can't eat this. I'm not hungry, I'm sorry..." he rushed, and stood up quickly and left the room. Heath frowned and nodded to everyone and ran after Koren. Duran shook his head.  
"I don't get it." He stated bluntly, and turned back to his own meal. Angela sighed.  
"...Eating's always been a struggle for Koren." She explained and played with her food a bit before eating. Duran paused before his next bite and set down his fork, turning to Darkshine and the Magus.  
"You mean...Koren has an-."  
  
~*~  
  
"Anorexia? Someone as beautiful as you?" Heath asked gently, nudging Koren with an elbow. The mage blushed.  
"...It's...it's nothing, really. And I'm not a beautiful person, trust me..." he explained, and Heath sighed.  
"Well, you seem like it to me. Why are you doing this? You're like a stick figure. If I knew you before this you'd be way back to normal by now," Koren shuddered, "I mean, well, whatever you consider normal."  
"It's always been like this," the wizard explained, kneeling over the railing on the balcony and looking at the moon, now rising above the horizon, "I never ate really. It only turned into a problem when I couldn't get up anymore to walk. I ate a little so I could walk again, then I met Darkshine who made me eat even more to get better...but this tournament..." he faded away, shaking his head, "...it's too much stress."  
"So? When I'm stressed out, there's nothing like a nice pint of ice cream to cool me off," Heath replied, making Koren smile, "You just need to realize that being terribly thin isn't the best thing." Heath moved closer to Koren, now shoulder to shoulder with him. Koren bit his lip.  
"...It's just..."  
"No excuses. C'mon now, back to the table. I'll help you, okay?" the Mirage Mage offered, and Koren blushed yet nodded. Heath smiled, "It'll be okay-"  
"-Can I at least not eat tonight? I'm sorry...it's just...too many people at the table..." Koren explained smoothing out his hair. Heath shook his head.   
"Well...you'll still have to eat, I'll have food delivered up here." He explained and took one more step closer to Koren by putting his arm around him. Koren turned the color of his cape again, "What's wrong? Shy?"  
Koren mumbled something, trying to conceal a smile. Heath laughed and nudged Koren slightly.  
"It's alright, just wait here. What do you want?" He asked, heading towards the door. Koren turned around and shrugged.  
"...Just...maybe just...you choose." He blurted out and sighed, walking over to a chair and sitting down. Heath nodded and winked at Koren before leaving to get him some food.  
  
~*~  
  
"So then..." Hawk chuckled, while everyone else at the table tried to regain breath that was stolen from laughing, "I took the Poto, stuck my fingers at the spot that makes their tongue flick out, and let it lick right in his-"  
"May we have your attention please!" a voice boomed out. The room went silent, "Thank you. The round placements for the main tournament, round one, will now be announced!" a man with turquoise hair shouted, and picked up a list of names.  
"First fight! Duran Starknight versus...Kaitoro Mekayoi!" Duran looked around for his opponent, and saw a young man with jet hair looking back at him, grinning menacingly. Duran snarled.  
"Second fight! Kevin Bladeclaw versus Laini Lakehart!" Kevin blanched.  
"Kevin...fight girl?" he asked in confusion, cowering down in his seat.  
Heath paraded back down to the table and walked over to Angela and Darkshine, "He's eating in my room...what's going on?"  
"They're announcing the fights..." Angela explained and leaned back in her chair. Heath waited.  
"Third fight! Koren Ryutei versus...Jagan!"   
"JAGAN'S HERE?" Hawk and Lise shouted together, making the whole room turn around at them. They sat back down and faced each other, whispering. Heath let out a long sigh.  
"Fourth fight! Heath Lightflare versus Quinn Ravenlock!"  
Heath quickly found his opponent; a green haired young man who smiled and played with his earrings, dangling down from sharply pointed ears.  
"By the Gods, he's an elf..." Heath murmured.  
"Fifth Fight! Hawk Hadarei versus The Darkshine Knight!"  
Both warriors glanced at each other, showing signs of dissapointment.  
"...Best man win, sir." Darkshine stated, and Hawk nodded softly.  
"And sixth fight...Lise Prismfeather against Vendice Silverstroke!"   
Lise glanced around and was shocked to find a female beastwoman looking straight at her, slightly snarling. Lise glared and placed a hand on her knife concealed in her boot.  
"That is all for Round One! All others will be placed upon defeats in the first round! That's all!" he finished, and stepped off the podium. The usual chatter started up again.   
"Here you go, sir." A waiter said, handing Heath two plates with steak on one and chicken on the other. Heath smiled at the waiter and then at his new friends.  
"Here goes." He sighed and started back up to his room. Duran shuffled slightly.  
"I...man...I feel like shit all of a sudden...like something on the bottom of someone's boot." He muttered, shaking his head, "Koren is a jackass, yeah, but I don't think anyone deserves to treat themselves like that. Maybe not even him. I dunno."  
"It's a disease, Duran..." Darkshine commented, "It's so advanced, Koren can't help it anymore. I'm glad he has at least placed some trust in Heath to help him eat."  
"...I guess so." Duran replied and sighed again, "Well, let's get to bed, everything starts tomorrow!" he picked up his glass, "a toast to a great Tournament!"  
"CHEERS!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Just one more bite. Then you'd have eaten half. And that's alright for tonight." Heath cooed, watching Koren slowly bring the fork to his mouth, hand trembling. After placing the bite in his mouth, he covered his chewing motions with his hand and swallowed carefully. He then pushed away the plate and sighed, taking a sip of water.  
"Good job!" Heath cheered and scooted over to hug Koren. Koren nearly fell into shock, but managed to hug back.  
"I'm very happy, Koren! You get a treat." Heath exclaimed happily. Koren hesitated.  
"...Like...dessert? No thank you, I never touch-"  
"I mean something else." Heath giggled, and leaned over to kiss Koren lightly on the lips. Koren felt his entire body burn as if on fire, but regained control and began to kiss back. When they finally released, he blushed again.  
"...I'm sorry......I..."  
"Why are you sorry? Don't apologize, I was the one who kissed you..." Heath whispered and captured Koren's lips again. Koren relaxed and let himself enjoy the moment.  
  
~*~  
  
"Can I stay in your room tonight?" the Darkshine Knight muttered to a sleepy Deathjester.  
"Where's Heath...?"  
"In my room."  
"Why? ...Oh..." he laughed quietly and nodded, "Go on, go on, let them enjoy their sweet time."  
  
*~*  
  
AWWW. Well, I warned ya! Hey y'all, I'm a fangirl, I need to have my bishies hook up! Hehe...well, review, don't flame or else I'll flame you! ((takes up Ryusama's flamethrower and cackles))  
  
But still review! 


	5. Fight 1: Duran vs Kaioro

The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 4  
Koren opened his eyes slowly, cursing himself for waking up so early. He stretched languidly, and snuggled under the covers, closer to his bedmate. Heath still slept soundly; his mouth slightly open and breathing gently. Koren smiled and stroked a lock of silver hair from the Mirage Mage's face. Sighing happily, the Crimson Wizard closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep again.  
Unfortunately, it was all in vain, as Angela came rushing in.  
"Hey! Get up! Today's the..." Angela paused, then blushed, seeing the two bishounen in bed together.  
"Mmph..." mumbled Heath, now awake, pulling a pillow over his head, "...Five more..."  
"Minutes?" Koren asked, trying to sit up.  
"...Days..." Heath whispered, sending Koren into a fit of giggles.  
"Alright already! You guys have an hour before the fight starts! Get some breakfast and..." she huffed, her face still flammed, "And...get some clothes on!" The Magus slammed the door behind her.  
"Look who's talking...stupid girl..." Koren moaned and rolled out of bed and onto the floor, yelping. Heath snorted into his pillow and sat up to get dressed.  
  
~*~  
  
Carlie was shoveling down waffles again as Hawk came into the dining hall. He took a seat across from Duran who was sniggering at Lise. Hawk glanced over and saw the Amazoness looking at Carlie like a horror movie, eyes wide and jaw dropped. Hawk snorted, and caught Duran's eyes.  
"Hey you. You ready for your fight?" The thief asked cheerfully. Duran grinned broadly.  
"No worries! I am the best swordsman in all of Forcena! The Kaioro guy doesn't stand a chance!" he proclaimed proudly. His laughing feel short though, feeling a cold presence behind him. Turning about sharply, he met his opponents smug face.  
"Forcena? I heard that troop of boy scouts fell easily to the women of Altena," Kaioro snarled, grinning wickedly, "You're no match for me at all. Go back and help old ladies pick flowers." Duran glared.  
"Take that back you bastard!" the Swordmaster growled, standing up and facing Kaioro face to face. The other warrior's purple eyes glinted maliciously, a maelstrom of a deep thirst for blood.  
"If you want to settle this, wait until our fight. Until then..." Kaioro laughed, saluting Duran and walking off. Duran cried out angrily.  
"Get back here! We'll settle this right now!" The Mana Hero pushed up his sleeve, exposing his muscled arm and clenched his fist. Hawk stood up and put a hand on Duran's shoulder.  
"...Enough, Duran," The Nightblade murmured into Duran's ear. The fighter relaxed and sat back down, staring at his plate with sapphire eyes full of hate. Hawk sat down in time to see Heath and Koren walking in. Heath's hair was slightly mussed, and Koren's cape was crooked.   
"Well, look who finally got out of bed!" Hawk greeted happily.  
"...Give me coffee or give me death..." Koren groaned, collapsing into his chair and setting his head down on the plate. Carlie stopped eating and looked at him curiously.  
"...You sick?" Koren looked up at the small girl.  
"What?"  
"You look sick. Eyes dark. Skin pale. You okay for fighting?" the half-elf asked innocently, leaning over and looking at the wizard more closely. Koren shrugged.  
"I'm fine."   
Duran coughed, making Koren shoot daggers out of his eyes at him. But in fact, while Koren was getting dressed, he had wondered the same question: had his illness made him so weak?  
Three chimes sounded throughout the room, calling for attention and silence from the crowds. Once it was given, a voice came through the blue orb in the middle of the ceiling.  
"Attention please," the female voice called, "Will all participants in the Grand Tournament please report to the stadium. I repeat..."  
"We go now! Good day for fighting...good food...good friends!" Kevin cheered, clapping Duran on the back, making the Swordmaster wince slightly at the Beastman's strength. The warriors pushed back their chairs and headed out the south exit.  
  
~*~  
Duran fitted on the rest of his armor, then looked up at his friends, smiling.  
"I can do this guys! Just keep on cheering for me, okay?" Duran said, winking. Everyone nodded, then waved goodbye and headed to their seats. Heath paused, then turned around to find Koren still standing, looking at Duran.  
"...Hey, Duran," The Crimson Wizard said, smiling. Duran looked puzzled, "...Good luck. Kick his ass." The Swordmaster grinned and gave Koren thumbs up. Grinning back, Koren walked back to Heath and both continued their way to the arena.  
The giant main arena seated every single crazy fan waiting for days to get a piece of the bloodshed. There were special booths for all the fighters, and the Mana Heroes and their company took residence in one together. Sitting down, Angela flipped her hair back and looked at the west combatant entrance nervously.  
"Duran...I know you can do this..."  
A young girl, looking the age of 10, stepped up to the fighting stone platform, holding a microphone. Silence filled the stadium.  
"Hello all! My name is Shichi, and I'm the Caller of Fights!" she cheered, her high pitched voice sqeaking throughout the stadium. The crowd cheered, but the Mana Hero booth just stared.  
"...SHE'S the referee?" Lise choked, startled. The Darkshine Knight shrugged.  
"Don't judge by appearances..." he replied, and set his eyes on the small girl, "She might be something else. Same with that Kaioro guy."  
"What do you mean? That guy looked like a male model, what the hell is he doing in this tournament anyway?" Lise retorted back, crossing her arms.  
"...You aren't so observant, Lady Amazoness." Darkshine commented calmly, "You didn't see the sign on the back of the man's neck." Lise blinked.  
"What sign?"  
"A scar. A scar shaped exactly like the ancient Pedan word for 'curse'. That boy has somethin' mean in his system. And I don't like it. Duran might be in for his money this time." The Dark Knight explained. Lise kept silent and turned back to the ring.  
"Today's fight," The girl continued, "Will be Duran Starknight of the Grasslands Kingdom against Kaioro Mekayoi from the village of Mintos!" She threw her hand into the air, and both respectable fighters came out at opposite sides of the arena. The crowd went wild, cheering for both fighters with hoots and screams. Duran waved to his fan base and saluted the Hero's box. Kaioro smirked at the crowd and simply crossed his arms upon reaching the fighting platform. Shichi met both warriors as they reached the middle.  
"The main rules are simple!" she giggled, "When you knocked out of the ring, you have ten seconds to get back in! Both combatants will now set their own personal rules."   
Kaioro smirked, "Fight to Death." Duran blanched; was this guy really that confident?  
"...Fine." Duran snorted, and the fighters headed back to opposites to prepare.   
"Alright then! Let this fight begin as soon as both fighters are ready..."  
Duran drew his sword and took a deep breath.  
Kaioro simply stood where he was, smirking.   
"...BEGIN!"  
Duran ran towards his opponent, sword lifted in rage. Before reaching his opponent, Kaioro disappeared only to reappear in mid-air behind the Swordmaster.  
"You're too slow..." Kaioro taunted, and sent his fist hard into Duran's neck, sending the Forcenan down on his knees, choking. Kaioro landed and began to laugh, but soon found his laughter joined by his opponent's.  
"...You idiot." Duran chuckled, and swept his leg under himself to knock Kaioro too the ground. Caught off-guard, the mysterious warrior succumbed. Duran lifted up his sword again and brought it down swiftly aiming for Kaioro's head. The young man rolled out of the way just in time to only let a few black hairs get sliced off. Standing back up, Kaioro faced Duran.  
"...I'm not here for you to give me a haircut...time to really fight." Kaioro growled, and took out his own sword, a katana. Duran smirked and twirled his broadsword challengingly. Kaioro took a fighting stance and began to seemingly concentrate. He began to shake, his eyes going milky.  
'What the hell is he doing...?' Duran thought in surprise, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. Blood began to dribble down Kaioro's chin, and his mouth opened to reveal a blood-covered tongue.  
  
~*~  
  
The Darkshine Knight's eyes widened significantly, full of fear.  
"...Oh no...he's a berserker!" he shouted, standing up and pounding his armored fists on the table, "Duran! Get out of there!"  
"Wait...wait...what's a berserker?" Heath asked innocently. Koren exhaled.  
"A special kind of warrior that improves his strength to amazing ability by tasting his own blood. When Kaioro reaches his full potential, it will be enough to slice Duran into ribbons with no effort." He explained, slight tension in his voice.  
"Duran needs to be able to evade properly..." Darkshine continued, "Or else he's as good as dead already."  
  
~*~  
  
Kaioro's eyes changed from milky white to dark red as a strange crimson aura surrounded his body. Duran backed away.  
'He's...he's going berserk!' he finalized in his mind, his eyes widening in complete fear. Kaioro noticed and laughed, splattering blood in front of him.  
"Now begin to taste my full potential!" he hissed, and raised his katana high in the air. Duran quickly raised his broadsword, and prepared for the attack.  
  
*~*  
  
The first fight of the Grand Tournament is underway, and already it seems it might end quickly. Will Duran's skills be enough to match Kaioro Mekayoi, the berserker?  
  
To be continued... 


	6. Kaioro the Cursed Fighter

The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Duran gaped at the sight of his newly powered opponent. Kaioro grinned a bloody smile, his teeth stained with the fluid.   
  
"What's wrong, don't tell me that such an experienced fighter such as yourself has never seen a berserker!" he snarled. Duran could only stare, feeling Kaioro's power rising steadily. Kaioro grinned and raised his katana, unmoving. Duran suddenly heard the crowd gasp and wondered what was going on.   
  
"What the hell are you doing? Attack me already!!" the Swordmaster growled. Kaioro grinned.   
  
"I did."  
  
Blood began to trickle down Duran's cheek, and the warrior froze in surprise. Kaioro chuckled.  
  
"As you can see, I'm faster than you ever will be, so why don't you just put your hands behind your back and bow your head so I can cut off that ego-filled head of yours?" Duran hissed and charged at Kaioro with a war cry. His opponent disappeared as Duran slashed his sword and was kicked in the back by the Berserker's strong leg. The Mana Hero fell forward with a cry and swirled around to deliver a lower slash only to miss once more as Kaioro jumped high into the air and landed behind Duran ten feet away.  
  
"So slow...and yet you're working up such a sweat! Here...let me cool things down..." Kaioro lifted his hand into the air and began to chant familiarly. Duran quickly recognized the spell and prepared to evade.  
  
"ICE SMASH!" Kaioro screamed, sending a blast of hard ice at the Swordmaster, who rolled out of the way just in time to watch the attack slam into the arena wall. Duran panted and looked back at Kaioro.  
  
"Whoops. I missed. Well, there's always this time!!" the fiend rose his hand up and sent a beam of frozen slush at the Mana Hero. Duran evaded again only to find his opponent's attack following him from behind. Duran ran quickly to avoid the attack but soon found himself making a circle with the spell. He was frozen in a cylinder of ice.  
  
"Trapped like the rat you are!" Kaioro sneered, "You have ten seconds to get out of there before I slice it open and turn you into sushi."  
  
"One..."  
  
Duran thought quickly; he tried to bring his sword down on the wall but it only bounced off with a ring.  
  
"Two..."  
  
The Swordmaster looked around only to find his own desperate reflection stare back at him.  
  
'Reflection...? Wait a minute! This spell's ice is just like a mirror...meaning...' Duran's reflection turned from desperate to thoughtful. He ran to one side of the cylinder and readied himself to jump.  
  
"Three...four..."  
  
Duran took a running leap to one wall of the ice and jumped off the wall to the other side, repeating until he reached the top at last and landed back onto the arena floor. Kaioro raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Impressive. Seems you're not as stupid as I thought..." he snorted and raised his katana, "Yet now...you die!" Duran kept his eyes on the first Ice Smash Kaioro send out on him as the Berserker raced towards him. This time, Duran evaded each slash, remarking Kaioro's speed. The cursed one flipped over Duran and landed behind him to attack, yet Duran rolled out of the way just in time. He looked up to find Kaioro in front of the ice on the wall.   
  
'Perfect.' He thought, and began to chant. Kaioro was slightly confused at this and waited to see what the boy would conjure. Sparks of lightning began to appear around Duran as he lifted his sword into the air.  
  
"THUNDER SABER!!" He yelled and a pure bolt of lightning struck the sword, filling it with the power from the sky. The blade glowed a green shade as Duran prepared his attack. Kaioro smiled.  
  
"Well well...looks you have somewhat of a skill after all...not that it'll be enough to beat me!" The Berserker charged forward and Duran countered with his charged sword and pushed Kaioro back. Then, raising the broadsword up, he swept it down, sending a bolt of lightning to his opponent. Kaioro merely stepped out of the way and grinned smugly. Duran grinned back and Kaioro soon realized his mistake.  
  
He turned around only in time to have the bolt strike him back, sending him flying to the other side of the wall with a bone breaking snap. Kaioro fell to the ground, his neck at an odd angle.  
  
~*~  
  
"I don't believe it!" Heath shouted, looking at the match from above, "He used his magic to rebound off the ice wall and send it flying back to Kaioro...what a strategy!" The entire box fell into laughter and cheer. Koren smiled.  
  
"Yes...seems like I'll have to watch my back if I ever fight him myself." He said, clapping along with his company.  
  
~*~  
  
"And the winner by death is Duran of the Grasslands Kingdom Forcena!" Shichi announced, raising up her stick-like arm to lift Duran's muscled one. The crowd erupted into cheers as Duran grinned widely and did a little step dance on the arena floor. The crowd cheered and then subsided as Shichi held up her hand.  
  
"The second fight will occur in one hour, but the team this young man is from shall be able to rest until their next fight tomorrow! Same time, same place, same blood!" she said enthusiastically, patted Duran one more time on the back and led him off the arena.  
  
~*~  
  
"Dude! That was awesome! THAT WAS AWESOME!" Hawk screamed, hopping onto Duran and rubbing his head to ruffle his hair. Duran laughed and cheered as the rest of his friends dove upon him. Koren, Heath and the Darkshine Knight watched from afar, chuckling slightly. When the dog pile ended they approached the Swordmaster with congrtulations.  
  
"That was a very smart thing to do m'boy!" Darkshine chortled, whacking Duran on the back making him sputter, "Using the ice as a mirror. Never would've thought of that myself!"  
  
"Excellent job Duran!" Heath cheered bouncing up and down. Koren smiled and patted Duran on the shoulder.  
  
"Yes...smart move. Who would've guess that you could think up of that?" the Mage chuckled. Duran growled slightly.  
  
"Look blondie, I bet I could've beaten him with my own two hands if he hadn't go berserk on me!"  
  
"Yeah, he did though, and it turns out your brain is functioning after all. Need an asprin? Thinking hurts."  
  
"Shut up you jerk! You and me, right now! Let's go!" Duran wound up to throw a punch but Koren teleported away and reappeared behind him, pushing Duran off balance with his hand. The Swordmaster fell to the ground in defeat. Koren smirked.  
  
"No fighting!" Kevin shouted, "Good times! Happy times! Duran win! Celebrate tonight! Big party! Yeah?" the Beastman cheered and everyone else agreed. Duran fought to get himself up and got ready to shout at Koren one last time except he was walking back to the rooms with Heath.  
  
"Huh...where's he going?" Duran asked aloud before being trampled by his friends one more time.  
  
~*~  
  
Koren collapsed onto the bed panting slightly, his legs shaking from so much stress. Heath looked on with concern. Koren was unimaginably weak from the day's events and was breathing hard. The Mirage Mage put a hand on his friend's shoulder. Koren turned his head and looked at Heath.  
  
"I'm sorry. It happens when I do too much stress in one day...all I need is some sleep..."  
  
"All you need is some food."  
  
"No..."  
  
"Koren," Heath sighed and laid down next to him, "You have to try to get better, this is a battle you have to win yourself..." Koren's eyes darted away from Heath's. The Silver Wizard sighed.  
  
"If I may ask you a question..." Koren's eyes flicked back to Heath, "...Why did you do this to yourself? What made you want to do this?" Koren stared helplessly and sat up slowly, holding out his hands.  
  
"These." He spoke softly, turning his hands around looking at them intently, "These hands of mine. Gallons of blood rest upon them, the blood of innocent people...the blood of thousands...this is my sin. This is my sin I must repent for. So while they suffer knowing what I have done...I suffer knowing what I am doing to myself." Heath sat silently. Koren began to laugh and cry at the same time, choking.  
  
"Ha...see? See the blood? They're...they're dripping with it..." Koren's tears began to flow faster, "Blood...their blood...I have...to get rid of this...blood!" The wizard stood quickly and scampered into the bathroom, turning on the water and rinsing his hands furiously. Heath walked slowly towards him, his eyes full of concern and helplessness. Koren scrubbed harder, taking out brushes and wash clothes and scrubbing as hard as he could. Heath shook his head.  
  
"No...No Koren, no," he whispered and took his lover's hands away from the water. Koren began to cry again, "Listen to me. You are strong and you don't need to do this to yourself, you are stronger than this...LISTEN TO ME!" Heath shook Koren, "You need to try...and it's not your fault that this blood is on your hands. It's your job as a General, you can have no guilt..."  
  
Koren's cries turned into hard sobs.   
  
"It's okay...it's okay..." Heath comforted, bringing Koren into his arms and kissing his head gently. Koren relaxed and traced over Heath's chest before touching his own, letting his thin fingers slide across his rib cage.  
  
*~*  
  
With Koren in an emotional trap within his own mind, the reamaning warriors prepare for tomorrow's fight. What will happen then? 


	7. Fight 2: Kevin vs Laini

The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 6  
  
The five-year-old Duran continued to run in the rain, chasing a shadowed figure in the distance. Tears rolled down his youthful face, already splattered with drops of rain and mud.  
  
"Papa!" He called out, but the figure in the distance continued to walk on, "PAPA!" The child fell into the deep mud, still weeping.  
  
"Papa...don't...leave me behind..." Duran cried and sat miserably, letting the sky cry along with him.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Duran woke with a start, sitting up quickly in his bed. He was breathing deeply, and a single tear was rolling down his cheek.  
  
'A dream...just a dream...a memory...' he thought, and wiped the tear away. He carefully slid open his drapes on his bed and looked at the window; surprised to see it was the middle of the night. He stood up and checked on Angela and Carlie, suddenly feeling pity for both.  
  
'We've all been through so much...why can't we just be like normal people...with no worries...?' He pondered, slipped the covers up Carlie's shoulder, and left the room quietly in his robe.  
  
The hallway was lit dimly with only a few candles seemingly floating in mid-air. He sighed and headed to the end of the hallway, where the main balcony awaited. He might as well think a little bit before heading back to sleep; it was better to sleep on an empty mind.  
  
Stepping out onto the stone floor of the balcony, he was surprised to find someone was already there, leaning over the edge of the rail. The Swordmaster took a closer look and blinked realizing it was the Darkshine Knight.  
  
"...Fine night it is." He spoke softly, knowing there was someone behind him.  
  
"Yeah...stars are very clear." Duran replied and walked over and stood next to the Black Knight. They looked on in silence before Darkshine spoke again.  
  
"What brings you up?"  
  
Duran paused; should he tell him?  
  
"...Nightmare. Bad memories re-surfacing."  
  
Darkshine nodded, and shifted his weight to the other leg. Had he dreamed what he had dreamed? That day when he had to leave...?  
  
"...What about?" he asked, looking at the warrior. Duran sighed.  
  
"...When I was five...my father left me to fight your master. The Dragon Emperor. You already know that," Darkshine nodded slowly, "...It...was hard to see him leave...and never see him again."  
  
Silence. The sound of night owls and gentle water from the court fountain in the background. Darkshine shifted his weight again.  
  
"And so he died."  
  
More silence.  
  
"...Duran. Do you believe in the myth that when people die, they become a star in the sky?" The Knight asked.   
  
"Yeah...I mean, sometimes. It makes sense...there's so many stars...and they're looking over us, watching us, making sure we don't do anything stupid." Duran explained, looking more deeply into the night sky. Darkshine shook his head.  
  
"It cannot be true. What happens once the person enters the cycle of reincarnation? What happens to the star? Does it die? And reborn again? Stars do not contain spirits. Too many evil men in this world don't deserve to belong in the heavens."   
  
Duran bit his lip and shrugged, "I'm still young. I have time to figure out what I believe in." The Darkshine Knight turned to Duran.  
  
"The dead should serve the living, not hinder them."(*) He said, and walked back into the hall. Duran spent many minutes thinking about this before returning inside as well.  
  
~*~  
  
"There was a fighter who had a sword and Duran was his name-o!" Hawk sang as Duran sat down at the breakfast table. Duran smirked and pushed Hawk lightly, making him fall off his chair.  
  
"Hey, c'mon Duran, it wasn't that bad!" Hawk chuckled, getting back up. Lise snorted.  
  
"Do us all a favor and never become a singer...I'm serious Hawk." She muttered, sticking her tongue out. Hawk grinned.  
  
"There was a bitch who had a spear and Lise was her name-o! L-I...no! Put down that...gah!" Hawk ran for his life, being chased by Lise holding a salad fork.  
  
"GET BACK HERE YOU BASTARD! I'LL SPLIT YOU IN TWO!" The Amazoness screeched, running past Koren and Heath who were coming into the dining area.  
  
"...Breakfast in the room today." Heath declared, and Koren nodded and the turned around to head back just as Kevin began to go down the stairs. He turned around and looked at Heath.  
  
"Where you go? Breakfast down here." He said, turning his head to one side in confusion. Heath smiled.  
  
"...It's a little crowded."  
  
"And crazy." Koren added, and they continued up the stairs. Kevin shrugged and walked over to his friends.   
  
"Hey Kevin! Good luck today!" Carlie squealed, jumping up and down in her chair. Kevin grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Thank Carlie. Nervous, I am, fight girl...no hit girls...what Beast King said when Kevin little. Lugar even say it. No hit girls. But me fight girl...what me do?" he asked aloud, sitting down in an empty chair. Duran swallowed a bit of eggs and turned to his friend.  
  
"You have no choice buddy, you got to fight her, and don't hold back either. It doesn't matter if she's a girl, she's a fighter too, just like you." He explained, and Angela nodded.  
  
"That's right, just because girls fight boys it doesn't mean the boys go easy on the girl. They shouldn't get special treatment. Oy! Waiter! More juice for the lady here!" she yelled and tapped her spoon against her glass. Everyone at the table moaned.  
  
"When this whole thing is over...we're sending her back to school..." Duran muttered and finished his breakfast. Just then, Lise and Hawk came running back; Hawk with several scratches on his arms and face, Lise madder than ever.  
  
"BEND OVER BITCH! I'M STICKING THIS FORK UP YOUR ASS!" She screamed again. Duran shook his head.   
  
"She's going to school too. Far...far...away."  
  
~*~  
  
The stadium was packed once again today, and the Mana Heroes took their usual spot in the box above the arena. Hawk and Lise were separated with the Darkshine Knight guarding Hawk from the angry queen. Duran checked out what he hadn't been able to before since he was fighting last time, and Heath and Koren were finishing their breakfast (Heath had toast, Koren self-consciously nibbled at a carrot stick).  
  
"It's progress," Heath told Angela while Koren wasn't noticing, "Before he wouldn't eat in front of ANYONE but me...I'm happy for him." Angela nodded, smiling.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
"Welcome to Day 2 of the Grand Tournament!" Shichi squealed into the microphone, sending the crowd into frenzy, "Today, we have Round Two involving the team which the young man yesterday was from! Today's fight is Kevin Bladeclaw of the Beast Kingdom against Laini Lakehart from the town of Astoria! Or...rather...what's left of it."   
  
Both fighters approached the arena, neither looking to the cheering crowd. Kevin was too ashamed of what he had to do and Laini's eyes were filled with hatred. Shichi backed off and raised her hand.  
  
"Ready...fight!" She cried out and the crowd cheered as the two fighters went into position. Kevin made his fists reluctantly but Laini took out her whip immediately and snapped it inches away from the Beastman, making him step back. Not waiting any longer, Laini charged forward and slapped Kevin in the face with her whip rolled up. The God Hand wiped blood off his cheek and took a deep breath.  
  
"Me must do this. Me sorry." He said quietly to her, making her falter.  
  
"What...was that?" She asked, not moving her position, but slightly relaxing it.  
  
"Me sorry. No hit girls before. Wrong, what father said. But must try, friend Duran said try. Win tournament!" he growled and charged forward towards Laini, picking her up and slamming her against the ground. The young lady rebounded and jumped up onto Kevin's shoulders, surprising him. She then grabbed his neck and flipped him over herself, crushing him onto the arena floor. The crowd moaned and then cheered at the move.   
  
"Don't you dare try and treat me differently because I'm a woman!" she shrieked, bringing her whip down across Kevin's back, making him yelp, "I thought you were apologizing for what you did to my home!"  
  
"Did...what? Home?" Kevin muttered, and dodged his opponent's next blow.  
  
"Destroying the town of Astoria! You Beastmen are all the same...destroy destroy! I bet you weren't sorry when you also sent Dune burning into the ground 12 years ago! I hate you all...for...killing my family and destroying my home!" she yelled, and began attacking more fiercely. Kevin tried to dodge the blows while going over what she said in his mind.  
  
'Burn Astoria? Beastmen? Me knew that, me didn't do it! Lugar did! Beast King! They ruin this girl's life! Why me fight her? Me...feel bad...' he thought, then roared as the whip struck him in the head, sending him spinning in the air and landing harshly. Laini took this chance to wrap her whip around Kevin's neck, tightening it.  
  
"Murderer..."  
  
*~*  
  
Can Kevin overcome his beliefs and somehow prove to Laini that he wasn't involved in the destruction of Astoria? Can he even win the fight, with the odds now against him?  
  
*~*  
  
A/N: The (*) at the end of Darkshine's sentence is a quote from Metroid Prime (PLAY THE GAME...PLAY IT...NOW!!) It's from a Space Pirate data log entry titled "The Chozo Race".   
  
Play...the game...so good...it is... 


	8. Revelations and Growing up a Little More

The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Kevin struggled to no succeed to try and free himself from Laini's grip. The young woman continued to tighten her whip around his neck, all the while cursing at him.  
  
"You're all murderers..." she screeched, "Every last one of you...do you know what it's like...to see your family, your hopes and dreams and loves just be tossed into burning flame and smoldering ash?!?"   
  
Kevin gasped for air; it was beginning to get dark...  
  
"To watch them die..."  
  
...Her shouts were merely whispers...  
  
"Only makes me want to kill you more!"  
  
Then something inside of him exploded.  
  
Kevin wrapped his claws around his bondage and sliced through with his claws, now extended. He swirled around and slashed down on Laini's face, splattering blood across the arena floor. The female warrior flew back, caught off guard by the Beastman's sudden strength. Kevin growled inhumanly and glared at his opponent.  
  
"Not my fault blood was spilt," he hissed and reached down to pick her up by her neck, making her suffer the same position he just was in, "No blame on my hands. But me gladly kill you if you make Kevin feel bad anymore!"  
  
Laini's eyes were filled with terror; is this this boy's true power? Why didn't he show it before? Why didn't she take warning? With weapon broken and spirits draining, Laini tried to choke out words.  
  
"...Sorry...I...am sorry...never knew that...you weren't..."  
  
"Then LISTEN! TRY AND LISTEN!" Kevin roared, tightening his grip. The crowd was silent.   
  
'Stop...Kevin...stop Kevin!' the Beastman's mind raced, 'You be murderer...just like she say...if you...no...just...little then...' Kevin tightened his grip. Laini gasped a final breath before a great snap echoed through the entire arena. Kevin felt her body go from rigid to limp. His eyes widened, and he knew he had betrayed himself.  
  
"...Well...looks like this match is definitely over! The winner of this match is Kevin Bladeclaw of the Beast Kingdom!" Shichi cheered, raising the fist Kevin did not have wrapped around Laini's neck. The crowd cheered, but Kevin did not hear anything.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
"Way to go Kevin..." Hawk tried to say, but trailed off seeing the despair in his friend's eyes. Arena officials had to pry Kevin's fist away from the girl's broken neck after the match, yet the God Hand's hand remained clenched. He wasn't responding to his friends' attempts to cheer him up, and seemed to be inside his own mind.  
  
'Why...why...did I kill girl? No want to...but...me so mad...me had to...not want to...' Kevin began to cry silently. Angela noticed and frowned before turning to the rest of the group.  
  
"I think we should just take Kevin up to his room to be alone for awhile..." her friends nodded, "Come on Kevin..."  
  
The Beastman soullessly took steps back to his room, Angela guiding him gently up the stairs. The group remained silent until Duran sighed.  
  
"...It wasn't what he wanted..." he tried to say, then bolded his voice more, "Kevin respects life for all things, and understands that some things must live and some things must die. But...he didn't understand what he did..."  
  
"I think I heard about this," Heath spoke up, keeping his voice low, "Beastmen have a special connection to the world around them and can sense life force in any living thing...Kevin knows when to kill and when not to kill if something is suffering or is ready to die. I think he knew that Laini wasn't ready to die. He feels it was wrong to kill something unprepared to pass on."  
  
"But...if he knew that Laini shouldn't have died...does that mean..." Lise started but couldn't finish. Heath shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. All we can guess right now is that he feels ashamed for breaking a kind of rule. Killing something that shouldn't have been killed. He hurt his honor." The young mage walked over to a couch and sat down, the others soon following. There was a long silence before Angela came back down the stairs.  
  
"He's still not talking. I'm slightly afraid to keep him in there alone, so I asked one of those orb-light-thingies to keep an eye on him." She reported, and sat down in an empty chair.  
  
More silence.  
  
Koren sighed and stood up slowly, trembling slightly. Taking a deep breath, he made his way upstairs towards the rooms. Heath began to go after him, but was pushed back by Darkshine's armored hand.  
  
"You know what he's going to do."  
  
~*~  
  
Koren sat down on the bed, looking at Kevin's face.  
  
"...I know what it's like...to kill when you don't want to." He began, and Kevin's eyes flicked up at him, "I've had to kill many that did not merit death. I've seen the pain and suffering that followed and not only from those who knew the person...but inside myself too." Kevin sat up slightly.  
  
Koren fidgeted slightly with his bracelets and looked around the room. The shades had been pulled to provide privacy for the God Hand, and the quarters were unexpectedly tidy sans one bed with various knives and x-rated magazines on it. The Red Wizard could only guess that that was Hawk's bed. He smiled and turned back to the Beastboy.  
  
"A lot of things in this world die. A lot of creatures suffer, and many more can only watch helplessly. The rest cause the pain. Death is around us, Kevin. But so is life. I know it's hard to sit back and watch the pain of lives ending...but perhaps creatures in this world should focus more on the joy of lives beginning and continuing."  
  
"You."  
  
Koren turned to Kevin, slightly surprised, "Me?"  
  
"Suffer. You suffer great. Aura weak, but life...you still live. Not time to die. Yet you dying. Why?" The Red Lotus stared into the floor.  
  
"Because...I am one of those beings who causes pain. To repent, I must cause pain onto myself."  
  
"No." Kevin sat up and faced the young man, "No. Tell something. You...you good person on inside. You are. You just do bad things. But that don't mean it change you. Maybe you evil. Maybe you good. Me don't know. But me from tell now you good person inside. Why not be good person outside? Me no get angry at me for killing girl. Me no cause pain on self. Me just think. Me just wonder why me did what Kevin did and continue on living. No stop and live in one time. Go on and live! Live life and live!" he ended, bouncing up and down on the bed. Koren laughed.  
  
"Is that what you believe I should do?"  
  
"Yes! Live! Be good outside, inside! Change good. Even for people who think they can't. Kevin will if Koren will." The God Hand spoke and held out his hand. Koren glanced at it and smiled weakly before shaking it.  
  
"Deal."  
  
~*~  
  
The clock chimed six in the evening, and the Mana party remained in the lounge discussing the day's events. Carlie suddenly piped up.  
  
"Dinner soon. Where Kevy and red cape man? Are they back yet? Carlie go see!" she squeaked and jumped off the couch to run out the door. As soon as she got there though, the door swung open quickly, squashing the little girl. Kevin stepped through first, followed by Koren; both were smiling.  
  
"Dinner! Food! Eat!" Kevin cheered and clapped his hands. The group smiled and spirits were lifted immediately. They all filed out the door and headed towards the dining room.  
  
"...Can someone please help Carlie?"  
  
~*~  
  
Kevin shoveled down more steak and grinned at Lise who was staring at him. She managed a smile before distracting herself with own food. Duran and Hawk were busy having a pie eating contest (which Duran was winning considerably), Darkshine was refereeing the contest, Heath and Koren were both at the table; Heath happily chewing away at his steak and Koren dicing his chicken into miniscule cubes before eating them. Every so often he would pause to look at Kevin, who would give him a thumbs up. And Angela was finishing up her crème brulee with gusto. No one seemed to notice anyone was missing...  
  
Hawk suddenly stopped eating pie at a mach 5 speed and turned towards the lounge. He stared at it for a while...trying to remember...  
  
"...Wait...wasn't there something...nah!" he concluded and resumed scarfing down pie.  
  
~*~  
  
"Carlie hungry...just...help Carlie up...please? Stupid meanies!"  
  
*~*  
  
With Kevin regaining his morale and dinner uninterrupted by Carlie, the night is a success. But what happens tomorrow...when the next fight occurs?  
  
*~*  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yo. I know this update is kinda late...but I'm sure you'll understand with school (dog barks, window crashes, milk spills, wolf howls, child screams) coming back into session. With any luck whatsoever the organization might kick me back into regular updates. Or I'll be swallowed by work effort and be catered off in a white jacket. I know the plot is coming along slowly, but when we hit the next few chapters, you REALLY begin to see what's driving this tournament.  
  
Peace out. AND REVIEW FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR SOUL. 


	9. Fight 3: Koren vs Jagan

The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 8  
  
"MEANIE KEVIN TRAPPED CARLIE IN DOOR!!" screeched a soprano voice at 3 in the morning the next day, waking everyone within a 50-foot radius up. The male shrieking and evil laughter that followed didn't help.  
  
"Y'know..." started Angela, putting her pillow over her head, "I'm starting to think we need to get that kid on medication..."  
  
"You're just starting to think that?" retorted Duran, fingers in his ears.  
  
"Not really."  
  
  
  
***  
  
"Someone...please...shut those two up..." pleaded the Deathjester, his head against the doorpost. The Darkshine Knight, his new roommate (since Heath and Koren began sharing a room due to uhm...reasons) hung over the chair in despair.  
  
"We need to get some medication for that kid."  
  
***  
  
"Heath."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"It's not very romantic with that brat screaming in the background."   
  
"I know. I need to get some medication for her..."  
  
***  
  
"GO OUTSIDE IF YOU TWO ARE GOING TO CREATE A MELEE LIKE THIS!!" Lise screamed at the tangle of limbs and blonde hair that was Kevin and Carlie. Still biting and scratching the two rolled out into the hallway, and Hawk slammed the door behind them.  
  
"Great Goddess, does that kid ever run out of energy?" the Nightblade cried and plopped back down on his bed.  
  
"She needs medication. Badly."  
  
~*~  
  
Everyone was an exact image of the living dead at the breakfast table. Kevin was covered with bruises and had a black eye while Carlie had scratches everywhere on her face from the Beastman's claws. Duran had fallen asleep in his toast and eggs and Angela was pouring orange juice into her cereal. Everyone else was focusing on putting one thought ahead of the next.   
  
"So..." muttered Lise weakly, barely lifting her head from its position on her arms, "Today is your competition with that one guy..." Koren looked up sleepily.  
  
"Yeah. That one guy...the guy."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Yeah it is." Finished the Red Mage, and nestled himself back into Heath's hair, who was sleeping soundly on his plate. The Darkshine Knight, seeing the position everyone was in (including himself) decided that it was his responsibility to wake everyone up. Standing, he unsheathed his sword and stabbed it in the middle of the table, causing the half-asleep Mana Warriors to sit up in alarm.  
  
"I don't like bein' the one to bring about news like this..." started Darkshine, whose eyes had significantly began to glow again, "But I believe we have about half an hour before the fight starts."  
  
"Oh right..." replied Duran, and shook the food away from his hair and finished his juice. Koren rubbed his temples and sighed.  
  
"Fine. I'll get ready." He said and stood up to head back to his room. Heath followed obediently, pestering Koren from behind with a plate of food. Lise shook her head.  
  
"He never gives up, does he?" the Amazoness asked aloud. Hawk smiled.  
  
"If you want something badly enough, and if you try hard enough, you will always win." He spoke, and stood up as well, "Heath wants Koren to be strong again, as do we all..." Duran grunted, "...deep down inside."   
  
Duran snorted and then shrugged and stood silently and went up stairs to his own quarters.  
  
~*~  
  
Standing before the gate leading to the arena, Koren began to doubt himself. Was he strong enough? Did he have enough courage? Could he even defeat Jagan or make a dent? Heath stood beside him, arm around his waist.   
  
"You'll be ok, right?" the Mirage Mage asked gently, tightening his grip slightly. Koren sighed and continued to stare at the gate.  
  
"I don't know anymore. I don't know how I feel or what I want."  
  
A long silence.  
  
"What do you think strength is?" Koren questioned innocently, looking at his love. Heath turned to him and smiled.  
  
"Strength is having the power to overcome the hardest obstacles that face you. And I'm not just talking physically. Strength is the one thing that separates people who give up and those who wish to continue on. And I know that you have a lot of strength, Koren. So use it." Heath brushed his lips against Koren's until Kevin stepped up from behind.  
  
"Time. Go Heath, we must leave area. Fight start near." The God Hand commanded. Heath gave one last look at Koren before leaving with the Beastman. Kevin turned around and smiled.  
  
"Strong. Go out and win." He exclaimed and waved goodbye. Koren returned the smile and then turned to face the gate and took at deep breath in.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"He's gonna be ok, right? He's gonna ok...yeah? Ok...Ok...Heath?"  
  
"DARKSHINE." Heath hissed for the thousandth time and looked at the Black Knight with agitation, "Trust him, ok? He's the general of the Altenian army for a reason." Darkshine exhaled and turned to Angela.  
  
"He's gonna be ok, right?" All Darkshine got for that question was a smack upside the head and a glare from the Princess.  
  
"You're hopeless."  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"Welcome all to the next round in The Grand Tournament!" Shichi giggled into the microphone, sending the crowd into a usual frenzy, "Today we have two very extreme magicians fighting against each other so will you please put your hands together for Koren Ryutei and Jagan!"  
  
Koren exhaled one last time as the gate before him opened, spilling sunlight into his young face. He took a step out and headed towards the center of the arena. He reached the destination and still did not sight his opponent. Shichi wondered about, looking up and around and even behind Koren's cape.  
  
"Well people..." she began, "I have no idea where Jagan might be but..."  
  
Suddenly, a clap of thunder echoed throughout the stadium, and it was as if someone had swept a cloak over the sun as the sky turned as dark as night. A few raindrops began to pelt down as Jagan's silhouette appeared across from the Crimson Wizard. The crimson eyes shone through the dark, giving light to the vampire's extremely pale complexion. Jagan grinned, baring his fangs in delight.  
  
"I hope you do not mind, Sir Koren," Jagan spoke, and Koren hissed slightly, "I'm afraid I don't like sunlight that much."  
  
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, now that both fighters are in their place I believe we can begin this match! Please get your umbrellas ready though, as it looks like it will only rain harder!" As soon as the young girl spoke those words, a ripple of umbrellas waved through the stadium. Even more of a coincidence, the rain began to come down in steady sheets. Both mages did not falter.  
  
"Alright...ready...FIGHT!" Shichi swung her hand through the air and then put up her own umbrella. Both wizards disappeared on the spot and a few moments later, a spectacular light show of magic began to fly back and forth between two points. The crowd oohed and ahhed, watching Fireballs slash through the air and Thunder Bolts striking madly. The warriors appeared again, each without a scratch.  
  
"So it appears your skills are indeed great, Crimson Wizard..." hissed Jagan, eyes glowing a deeper shade of red, "Let's see how they can hold up against this!!" The vampire cackled and disappeared in a puff of ebony smoke. Koren glanced about wildly, searching out for his opponent. It was only when he looked up did he realize that something was wrong.  
  
A stinging raindrop fell into his and he wiped it away only to look down at his hand to find blood. The rain was no longer water; it had become blood! Koren's heart froze, his veins replaced by artic streams. He could only stare at the blood covering his hands, slowly recognizing his worst fear...  
  
~*~  
  
"Argh! Jagan is messing with his mind!" Hawk stood up, screaming into the glass down to the arena floor. Heath was shaking his head and biting this thumbnail.  
  
'This won't end very well. I know Koren, and if it's one thing he's afraid of, it's seeing real blood on his hands...' Heath's mind raced.  
  
~*~  
  
Koren stood frozen, staring at his palms in horror.  
  
'The...the blood...of millions...millions of people...' he thought, and a tear began to slip down his thin cheek. Suddenly, a sharp pain brought him to his senses and sent him flying across the arena, landing on the edge. Recovering he looked up to find Jagan with his inhuman hand raised, smoke rising. The vampire grinned.  
  
"The don't call me the Earl of the Evil Eye for nothing, you know." Jagan's malicious grin broadened, "I see into your mind and into your soul to find your greatest weakness."  
  
Koren tried to stand, faltered, then rose up and pointed his hand at the vampire. He sent a spear of pure ice hurling towards Jagan, who barely dodged it in time. It struck the wall and imbedded itself into the stone. Jagan looked surprised and proud at the same time. Koren's eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"So what if that's my greatest fear. What matters is that I have the strength to overcome it!" Koren began and raised both hands up, causing a rumbling to settle in. The crowd gasped at the forming fire in his hands, which started from a simple ball and grew into a roaring pillar. "And you, Jagan, will not stop me from that!"  
  
*~*  
  
Trying to overcome his own weakness, will Koren be able to beat Jagan, the one creature who sees all a person's sins? How will the demon use this to his advantage...?  
  
*~*  
  
a/n: God, I am so sorry this took so long to get up! Mrwa. You have no idea what a wreck I am; I've collapsed twice this past week from exhaustion. Not fun. But still, I'm gonna try really hard to work on this story! Woo!  
  
On a side note, I have realized a mistake I put Chapter 3 in my Author's Note. Apparently I typed out "Homophone" instead of "Homophobe". Many of you must be wondering what a Homophone is...well...*points to a rainbow phone next to her, with purple triangle motif numbers* That, my friends, is a homophone. That concludes this announcement.  
  
-Kurai 


	10. When Blood Falls From the Sky a Hero Use...

The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Koren used all his strength to keep the pillar of flame towering above him. His eyes seemed to reflect the fire, turning from their natural ocean blue to a hellish red.   
  
"I AM NOT WEAK!" he roared and pushed the pillar down upon Jagan, still giving a battle cry. The vampire's black shadow disappeared within the flames and as they died no trace of him was found.  
  
Panting, Koren kneeled down to one knee. He kept his head bowed, sighing in relief at the death of his opponent when he realized in dread that bloody rain continued to fall.  
  
'What...?' He thought, and looked upward to fall into shock at the sight of Jagan soaring above him.  
  
"Wow! I don't believe this I bet you don't either but it seems Jagan has somehow avoided Koren's Explosion attack! What great maneuvering!" Shouted Shichi, and the crowd roared in anticipation. Koren readied himself to dodge Jagan's speeding attack and rolled out of the way as the dark magician slammed into the stone ground. Standing up, Koren looked at the cloud of smashed granite and quickly dodged again as the vampire came dashing out, claws at ready. Jagan screeched to a stop and faced the Crimson Wizard.  
  
"Do you really think a simple fire spell would ward me off?" Jagan sneered, "Need I remind you I am from the darkest depths of the Underworld where brimstone burns and souls bleed? I see every move you will make before you make it...I see your soul Red Mage! And I see your end now!" Jagan rushed forward again, barely giving anytime for Koren to dodge. One claw slashed into the magician's shoulder, leaving a trail of blood in mid-air. Koren gasped in pain and clutched his shoulder before turning and firing a lightning bolt towards the vampire. Jagan seemingly disappeared the moment before the spell hit, and reappeared on the other side of the arena. Quickly turning, Koren tried again with the same spell, missing again.  
  
'This isn't working...' his mind rushed, 'He knows everything I'm going to do!'  
  
~*~  
  
"This is really not good!" shouted Hawk from the box. Darkshine's eyes were so bright the room obtained a violet glow and Angela was nervously tugging her hair.  
  
"Come on Koren! Don't lose to this wimp before you have to fight me! Come on!!" Duran shouted, slamming his fist onto the windowsill, "You must have something he doesn't expect from you!" Heath paused and then gasped.  
  
"You're right Duran! There is something Jagan doesn't expect from Koren!" he exclaimed and stood up to get closer to the window. Angela realized this as well and followed the suit.  
  
"That's right! All that Jagan knows is that Koren knows black magic, but I bet he has no idea he has some Wisp spells in his book too!"  
  
"Exactly." Replied Heath, looking below anxiously, "A Saint Beam would certainly finish him off!"  
  
"Yeah...but..." chimed in Hawk, "it looks like any spell from Jagan might finish Koren off..." The Darkshine Knight growled.  
  
"What're you talking about? Koren's doing fine!" The Knight grumbled but Hawk shook his head.  
  
"No. He isn't. His physical condition and his mental condition are near the breaking point with the entire spell casting and dodging he's had to do. He can't hold out much longer in his state! If he's going to cast a deciding blow it has to be soon!"  
  
~*~  
  
Jagan grinned maliciously at the blood dripping steadily from Koren's shoulder. Faltering, Koren raised both hands, despite the pain. Jagan sneered more.  
  
"Go ahead...use the last of your energy! When you die I'll feast on that delicious blood dripping from your body!" The vampire screeched and reared back. Dashing forward, he opened his mouth widely, "You're mine, Koren of the Red Lotus!"  
  
The Crimson Wizard focused hard, remembering a single white spark in his mind. The spark glowed and shimmered before turning into a silver silhouette, then turning into Heath. Heath winking, Heath smiling, Heath turning towards him...  
  
A pure explosion arced through Koren's mind.  
  
"SAINT BEAM!!" he screamed and brought both hands parallel to Jagan's open mouth. The monster had not a second to scream before the holy light penetrated through his body and then dissipated. The vampire's corpse fell to the ground, twitching in agony before it gave a last shudder and died.  
  
"What a conclusion! And the winner of the match is...Koren! ...Koren?" Shichi yelled, looking at the exhausted wizard. The Red Mage watched the black blood flow from Jagan's wounds, and then felt himself spiraling, spiraling downward into the dark.  
  
~*~  
  
"He used what little mental strength he had left to use the Saint Beam...most experienced magicians can perform it without such energy drain, but..." Angela trailed off, looking down at Koren's barely breathing body lying in his bed, "...his physical self was so weakened, he had only enough strength to pull it off."  
  
The entire team had crowded around the magician's bed, watching him in fear of his heart suddenly stopping. A spell had been casted on him to keep enough oxygen in his blood by covering his body in an unearthly green glow. Heath was the nearest to him, trying to hold back tears. Everyone else was holding his or her breath.  
  
"Yes, all of his energy has been drained, except enough to keep his heart beating. But that won't last long unless we keep this spell on him." Spoke the doctor who tended to Koren immediately after his collapse. The group turned to face him, expressions blank.  
  
"The thing is, the young fella might not even make it." Everyone stopped breathing, "It's not his injuries from the fight, they will heal fine...but the anorexia has somewhat compromised his ability to recover. I'm terribly sorry to tell you this, but without a drastic change in his behavior, Koren will die within a month."  
  
No one exhaled, except for Heath who burst into tears. Biting her lip, Lise walked over and touched Heath's head gently. Crying hysterically, the Mirage Mage took no notice and simply gripped his boyfriend's hand tighter. The doctor bowed his head and left the room silently.  
  
"I...I don't believe this..." Hawk muttered, shaking his head, "Why would he die so soon?" Angela wiped a tear away and sniffled.  
  
"It's because he's dealt with this disease ever since he was twelve Hawk!" The Nightblade turned around in surprise, "I've known him for the longest time and he's been struggling for so long..." the princess began to sob harder, "I don't care what he's done...he's still my friend!!" With that, she fell to her knees and cried louder. Duran knelt down and patted Angela's back.  
  
"I know. I judge a person based on their own merits...but he's still a great fighter. I've made mistakes too, but great fighters don't deserve to die like this." The Swordmaster spoke and kissed Angela's forehead gently. Kevin cleared his throat.  
  
"We must go now. Leave Koren to rest..." he spoke, and turned to leave the room, the others following him. Duran and Angela were the last to leave, except for Heath who remained by Koren's bedside. Duran began to speak, but Angela put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Nodding, Duran followed her out and they closed the door behind them.  
  
~*~  
  
Angela lay in her bed, crying silently in the night. Memories flashed through her head, each painfully reminding her of her friend like a needle pricking her finger.  
  
"They say Angela, Victor and Koren are in detention again..."  
  
"Angela! Hey! Forget this, let's go shopping!"  
  
"Koren...you're not eating..."  
  
"I'm so ashamed of myself for doing all of this..."  
  
"We're not friends anymore, okay? So just forget about it Angela!"  
  
"He might die in a month..."  
  
"Angela! Hey Ange!" An eleven-old Koren called out, standing at her doorway with Victor behind him.   
  
'He was more then...' Angela thought.  
  
"Come on, let's go! The theater isn't running the show forever you know!" Victor called out playfully, causing Angela to giggle and stand up to follow her friends.  
  
'That was before...before everything happened...'  
  
"...so anyway, that's what I heard about Christine and Joey," laughed Koren, same age, sitting at lunch with his group of friends including Angela and Victor. Everyone giggled before one boy stepped over to them, sneering.  
  
"Hey, Koren, guess what I just heard!" he said, smirking. Koren turned around, innocently, and smiled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I overheard Tyrius talking about the dance, and when we suggested he take you, he thought you were to fat to take to the spring dance..."  
  
"Get out of here Quist!" Victor shouted. Koren wasn't moving.  
  
'That was when it began. Just a simple comment about his crush calling him fat...even though he denied it later. I found Koren making himself throw up dinner that night...Oh god, Koren, what did they turn you into? What did they do to you?'  
  
Angela cried harder into her pillow, cursing everything that could have caused her friend's illness. Pounding into her bed sheets, she cursed herself for being so selfish...  
  
~*~  
  
"He's no longer unconscious, but in a very deep sleep right now. He should wake up by tomorrow morning." Said Lise, leaving Heath and Koren's bedroom, reporting to Hawk. Hawk crossed his arms and sighed, looking out to the window at the end of the hall, early morning sunlight seeping through the curtains  
  
"I feel kinda hypocritical feeling bad for him. He's the one we're supposed to be fighting, and yet here we are losing sleep over him." The Nightblade spoke, shaking his head. Lise shrugged.  
  
"Right now, we're separate from our quest for the Mana Sword, okay? Everything aside. He's an ally for now, and he's injured..." Lise paused, "But wait...wasn't Heath's fight today?" Hawk looked up.  
  
"Yeah...it was...should we remind him?"  
  
"Don't bother, thief." The two warriors turned around to find a young man with long green hair pulled back into a high half ponytail leaning against the wall behind them. He had a bow and arrows strapped across his back, and wore a simple green tunic with black pants and boots, "They postponed the fight because of the psychological condition your whole team is in. Stupid rule managers." He stood up straight and turned his yellow eyes on them.  
  
"Wait...aren't you that guy who's going to fight Heath? Quinn Ravenlock?" Lise asked, and Quinn nodded.  
  
"That's me. I came here to see how everything was going."  
  
"What do you care?" Hawk spoke defensively, crossing his arms, "Just leave the two of them alone okay?" Quinn smirked.  
  
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't do that. See, I want those two as far apart as possible." The elf explained, a spark in his eye, "The first time I ever laid eyes upon that silver haired God and I knew it was love. So why don't you just let me mosey on in and convince him to give up on that corpse?" Quinn stepped towards the door but found Lise's spear holding him back.  
  
"You bastard. Get away, don't you see that Heath loves Koren?!" she shouted, eyes narrowed. Holding both hands up sarcastically, Quinn stepped back.  
  
"Now, now missy, no need for that. If you want me to leave, just say so--"  
  
"Then get out of here you needle-eared freak!" Hawk shouted and shoved Quinn away from the door. Glaring, Quinn turned around and began to walk away.  
  
"Fine. But you'll see, when our fight comes, I will make that healer boy mine." And with those words, the elf simply disappeared into the shadowed hall. Hawk relaxed and then bared his teeth.  
  
"Okay Lise, if we consider Heath and Koren our allies, I'm not going to let that creep ruin their relationship! I am the Soldier of Love!" he spoke dramatically, plunging a fist into the air. Lise smacked him over the head with the butt of her spear, sighing.  
  
"More like the Soldier of Stupidity. Shut up and lets leave to keep things quiet around here, okay?" the Starlancer proclaimed and stepped off in the opposite direction. Hawk got up steadily.  
  
"Hey Lise, wait." Lise stopped and turned around, "What...why do you think Quinn is here? I just thought about it...aren't Elves forbidden from human contact?"   
  
Lise paused and thought about it. "That is weird, Hawk. Maybe he isn't from the Lampflower Forest...maybe he's from somewhere else entirely. But we can't think about it for too long, okay? Now, let's just go."   
  
Hawk relented his fight but took one last look back where Quinn last was. Glaring, he walked on.  
  
*~*  
  
With the Mana Team morale slipping as quickly as Koren's fading health, will Heath be able to compete in time to still stand in the tournament? And who is Quinn, the mysterious archer from nowhere?  
  
*~* 


	11. The Crystal Of Elders

The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 10  
  
  
  
"I'm just cold now, really." Remarked Koren carelessly when Heath asked how he was, "Just freezing." Heath remained quiet, wringing the corner of the bed sheets in his hands. Koren blinked.  
  
"Heath?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Heath, what's wrong?"   
  
Heath suddenly felt a pang of anger at the magician, which showed in his eyes when he looked at his lover. Koren's normally calm expression was now startled.  
  
"You almost DIED, that's what's wrong!" Shouted Heath, throwing his hands into the air. "You almost died, and you don't seem to care, NO ONE seems to care but ME and...and..." the Mirage Mage stuttered, and broke into hard sobs. Koren sat there, stunned, before placing a hand on Heath's shoulder.  
  
"...I didn't mean this to happen." Was all he said, and Heath whipped his head up again.  
  
"Then why don't you stop?" He choked, "Don't you see how painful it is?!?"  
  
"It doesn't hurt."  
  
"It hurts ME."  
  
Koren blinked hard. It was one of the few times anyone had ever said that to him. No one ever did anything to stop him most of the time. No one dared. And at the beginning, it didn't matter what other people felt when he did it. But now...seeing him...  
  
"...It's just so hard though." Said Koren, no emotion in his voice. "It's hard to stop." Heath cried harder into his hands. "...But...but what you've done for me, it has helped..."  
  
"Some help." Sniffled Heath, "You're sitting here in bed after you nearly died."  
  
"That's not your fault!"  
  
"It's not yours either!!" Exclaimed Heath, brushing away another tear. "Just...I want to let you know I will keep trying for you. I don't care how long it takes, Koren." Heath paused and looked into the blonde's eyes, "I don't care how long. I'll stay forever to make you better."  
  
Koren burst into tears. Heath placed his hand on the Crimson Wizard's. "What's wrong?"  
  
"No one has ever said that...I used to think no one cared..."  
  
"What are you talking about, silly?" Asked Heath playfully, "Of course I care." Koren looked up, smiling, and the two embraced.  
  
~*~  
  
"So the officials announced Heath's gonna fight that Quinn guy tomorrow." Hawk said bluntly, putting his legs up on the breakfast table. "I hope he gives him hell."  
  
"What do you have it out for that Quinn guy anyway?" Asked Angela, munching her toast. "You've been talking trash about him all morning." Hawk and Lise glanced toward each other before Lise leaned in and sighed.  
  
"We were checking on Heath yesterday morning..." She began, tracing her slim finger around her juice glass. "He has a thing for Heath. He's trying to break those two-Heath and Koren-apart. It's sickening." Lise slammed her fist down. "He has no dignity whatsoever! All he cares about is lust!"  
  
"Yeah! What a jerk!" exclaimed Hawk angrily, "I can't believe guys like that." Angela rolled her eyes at the thief.  
  
"Stop talking, idiot." She growled, "Look in a mirror sometime."  
  
"At any rate," Lise interrupted, "We're all cheering for Heath in the fight, we can't let Quinn win at all!"  
  
"Righ'!" agreed Darkshine, eyes glowing happily, "S'no way we're letting a pointy-eared, serpent eyed...hey waitaminute..." The Knight paused, his eyes showing confusion. "What's an Elf doing here anyway?"   
  
"We asked ourselves the same thing earlier." Replied Lise, shrugging, "We have no idea. Heath would know, of course, since he knows practically everything about the different races of Fa'Diel...and yet..." she trailed off, then looked at Carlie, who wasn't paying attention at all.  
  
"Carlie, dear," purred Hawk sweetly, making the girl look up, "What do you know about the elves, sweetheart?" Carlie stuck her tongue out thoughtfully.  
  
"Carlie know that Elves stay away from Humans; Elves no like Humans because of BIG war waaaay before Carlie was born!" she said cheerfully, as if talk about wars was like discussing the weather. "But Carlie also know that some Elves come to Human Cities, not caring about past wars and stuff! And Gran'pa even say..." she lowered her voice, causing everyone to lean in, "That some Elves come to kill Humans, to make them go to Time-Out for bad stuff they did to Elves before!" She resumed eating, obviously done speaking. Hawk blinked.  
  
"Lot of help she is," nodding his head towards the Halfling, "We still have no idea why Quinn is here."  
  
"Well, let's think then." Darkshine suggested, and rest his head in his hand. "What's the one reason everyone is in this tournament?"  
  
"That's easy!" shouted Duran, punching a fist into the air in excitement. "It's for the cash!"  
  
"Exactly." Darkshine replied, nodding. "So Quinn is here to win the money, but what is he going to use it for? Elves don't use our currency of Luc." Everyone thought for a while.  
  
"Perhaps..." began Hawk, "He's not here for simple greed of money...maybe he's here for the money, but there's something else as well. Maybe he'll use the money for something?"  
  
"That's it!" exclaimed Lise, "He's going to use the money for war!" Everyone seemed to understand now, "He's going to start a new war against Humans and Elves!"  
  
"Aye, so that's it." Nodded Darkshine. "What a plan."  
  
~*~  
  
Closing the door quietly behind him, Heath left his room to let Koren rest for a little. Sighing, and placing his hood over his head, he walked out to the hotel garden and sat near the fountain.  
  
'Why has this all been happening?' he thought, 'Why does fate bring us together? Why is fate still existent even as Mana fades?' He glanced at the flowers, still moist with morning dew. 'And why...why did this have to happen to him? He of all people? What happened in his life that made everything suddenly change? Why am I asking myself...I don't know the answer.' Heath wiped away a tear that had creeped out of his eye uninvited. He looked out to the horizon, seeing the ocean glimmer back at him. The morning was quite pleasant, only a gentle breeze stirred the silent air. However, suddenly a rush of cold wind blew around him, startling him. He turned around swiftly, causing his hood to fall back and squinted against the cold air to see a bright sparkling shining through the window of the highest tower of the hotel. Frowning in thought, he rushed inside to find the source of the light.  
  
~*~  
  
"But why start another war? It causes more harm than good most of the time." Stated Lise, sipping at her juice.  
  
"Maybe it's just to get revenge for the war before." Shrugged Hawk. "Or maybe they just don't like us."  
  
"War always has a motive, thief." Explained Darkshine. "There has to be a good reason for someone to make such a rash decision." Pausing, Lise thought hard.  
  
"...I think I read once that during the war against the Elves and Humans, the main conflict was centered over something of possession. All I saw on the page though was a large crystal."  
  
"Wait...I know this!" Angela piped up suddenly, "Jose told us about it in class. Thank god I didn't skip that day..." she received a glare from Lise. "Anyway, he said that the Elves were fighting to get control over something called a Mana Crystal. It's not at all like a Mana Stone, which is only used to contain the God-Beasts. It's pure Mana concentrated into a solid form and is very, very powerful. There are only three in existence, he said, and they originally belonged to the Elves before the Humans took them. And that's how the war started!"  
  
"So THAT must be the reason then!" Hawk yelled triumphantly, "Quinn must be here to get money, and then use that money to start a war and get the Crystals back!"  
  
"Aha...tricky little Elf." Darkshine agreed. "So that's the plan."  
  
~*~  
  
Pausing before the great door leading to the tower room, Heath kept staring at the crack of the door, still shining bright with a holy light. Out of the blue, he felt a warmth against his forehead and touched the warm spot, to find himself holding the crystal of his tiara.  
  
"Huh?" he said aloud, and removed his ornament and gazed at the crystal, which was glowing with the same intensity of the light in the room. "What...what is this...?" he asked, half-expecting the crystal to give him an answer. Not wanting to wait any longer, he opened the door and threw it open.  
  
Floating before him was a large crystalline object, radiating a pure power Heath had never felt before. It was absolutely perfect; every edge of the object was smooth and pointed. Except for the crystal, there was nothing else in the room. Taking a step forward, his tiara began to vibrate. With no time to stop it, it flew out of his hands and rested near the gem, floating in mid-air. The Mirage Mage was puzzled at this, for he had always believed the crystal on his headband was simple Alexandrite. The glow increased, and Heath was forced to shield his eyes from it. Slowly, the glow receded, and when Heath looked up, he gasped aloud.  
  
The crystal on his tiara, once green, had turned the same color of the object; a brilliant Sapphire. It drifted back to him, and placed itself on his head with no help from Heath himself. Slightly afraid now, he turned to leave but heard a high-pitched ring through his head. Trying to continue on, he realized in horror that he could not move.  
  
"What's going on! Who's doing this?!?" he exclaimed angrily, desperate trying to move his feet in vain. All sound then ceased and Heath heard a melodic voice enter his mind.  
  
Heath of the Holy City, protector of Light.  
  
Born of evil, and raised in the sun of good,  
  
You are heir to this power.  
  
Your mind has turned, but your soul has not,  
  
Resist what he has transformed you into,  
  
And rejoin the light that fills your spirit.  
  
Heath, Priest of Guiding, we give you this   
  
Power, for you have carried this shard of us  
  
For long, and kept it safe and unscathed from  
  
The evil that surrounds you.  
  
This, Son of Evil Who Brings us Hope, is   
  
The Shard of Elders. May it guide you to  
  
The way of peace.  
  
The voice faded and Heath found himself able to move again. Dazed, he took one last glance at the Crystal and left in haste.  
  
~*~  
  
"I can't sleep, I can't sleep...I can't dream and I can't sleep..." sang Koren, playing with one of his rose orbs he brought from Altena as a reminder of his home. The rose bud inside the oil within the ball twirled in elegant dance as Koren rolled the orb around his fingers. "I can't sleep and I can't dream, fatigue left me so it seems..." Humming, he continued to weave the Orb in his hand.  
  
Heath burst through the door and tripped over himself in his rush. Koren dropped the orb in surprise on the bed and sat up more to look at Heath.  
  
"Something the matter, love?" Koren asked, slightly amused. Heath jumped up and ran over to his belongings, which consisted of many books, sheets of paper and writing pens, and a few personal mementos. Picking up a heavy red book, he flung it down onto Koren's bed, and began to flip through it.  
  
"...Uhm..." Koren murmured, "What...are you doing...?"  
  
"The thing!"  
  
"...Ah yes the thing." Koren replied sarcastically, his ailment never suppressing his playful and yet sardonic nature. "Yes, when I was a lad, the thing was ALL the rage..."  
  
"No no no! Heath yelled, flipping through the pages like a madman. "It's the thing!"  
  
"Oh. THE thing. With more emphasis on THE, then. Ah yes, that was popular too..."  
  
"Oh Koren!" Heath exclaimed, not so much cross as happy his boyfriend was well enough to make jokes at his frantic search. "Just gimme a sec."  
  
"Okay. One. Now tell me." Coincidently, Heath had found the page. "So?"  
  
" 'The Crystal of Elders'", read Heath, scanning the text, " 'The Stone of Elders is one of the three legendary Mana Crystals which also include the Crystal of Life and the Crystal of Knowledge. These Crystals contain a highly mysterious power that can only be unlocked by one of bloodline to Elvish royalty...'"   
  
"...And...this relates to you because..." Koren asked, twirling his hand in drama. Heath paused and looked up at the Crimson Wizard.  
  
"My mother was an elf...so...that means..." He touched the Crystal on his forehead, and suddenly Koren understood.  
  
"...You're the heir?"  
  
"Must be. Long story."  
  
"Oh, please do tell," Koren smirked, "It's been quite boring here in bed with nothing to do."  
  
*~*  
  
Heath, finding out his link to the legendary Mana Crystals, now has more understanding of what fate truly means. But could this be the reason that Quinn is so interested in him? And what of the fight, that begins the next day?  
  
*~*  
  
BAH! I hate school...I apologize for the large gap between chapters...I hate school...  
  
See, I'm taking so many classes it's insane...so...not pretty. Yeah, hardly anytime to write, however...I HAVE been drawing a lot lately, which has turned into comic strips about my misadventures. If I get a scanner, I'll get them online and give you the link! Webcomics rule!  
  
Review please! Or I'll do something...like...THE THING! 


	12. Fight 4: Heath vs Quinn

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hooooowah. I'm not completely insane yet people! Go me. Anyway, I'd like to bring something to everyone's attention. Last night Ryusama0 (my boyfriend ^__^) asked me if there were going to be ANY straight couples in this fanfic.   
  
Well, yesindeedlydoo!  
  
Not only is this fanfic Heath/Koren but also Angela/Duran and Hawk/Lise. So for those of you that thought your favorite couplings were being neglected you are SO WRONG! It'll become much more obvious in the forecoming chapters who's hooking up with who. Maybe even in this chapter...hmm...I don't know...keep reading!  
  
On to the story!  
  
*~*  
  
The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Adjusting his robes, Heath looked into the mirror one last time for confidence. His teammates had told him about Quinn's ideals about him, which made him want to defeat his opponent even more. Touching the Shard of Elders on his tiara and feelings it's warmth of power throughout his fingers made him sure of himself. Casting his gaze on Koren's still sleeping form, he smiled and walked over to the bed. Leaning over slightly, he kissed the Mage's forehead gently, making him stir slightly in his sleep. Smiling once more, Heath left the room quietly.  
  
~*~  
  
"Still sound asleep I'm guessin'." Darkshine remarked when the Mirage Mage sat at the table. "He was always a late one to get up, and very hard to wake up. One time he singed off me feather with a fireball because I tried to get him up. Honestly!" Everyone at the table laughed and Heath felt a great sense of security.  
  
"So Heath," started Duran, setting down his juice glass, "Are you reading for your fight? Against that elf guy?"  
  
"Ready as ever, it can't be held off any longer can it?" Heath replied, starting on his eggs. "I have to fight now so I can take care of Koren later."  
  
"Good plan! Just remember to show no mercy!" growled Duran with gusto, "Chop off his ears, rip out his tongue, gouge out his eyes..."  
  
"DURAN!" screeched Angela, slapping her hand over Duran's mouth tightly. "Shut up. We're. Trying. To. Eat!"  
  
"Emjussryingooiveimfideence!"   
  
She took her hand off. "What?"  
  
"I'm just trying to give him confidence! You're such a brat sometimes Angie, I swear."  
  
THWACK.  
  
"I AM NOT A BRAT!" Angela yelled while Duran began nursing the new sore on his head.  
  
"You are too..." Duran said quietly, but obviously not quietly enough. The Princess loomed over him.  
  
"WHAT? IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, SAY IT!" she roared, raising her fist again. Duran shrunk back. "WELL? SAY IT YOU WIMP!"  
  
"You'll hit me again!"  
  
"DIE INFIDEL!" Angela swung at him and missed, and Duran took this chance to escape with the Magus hot on his tail.  
  
"...I think they like each other." Hawk joked cheerily sipping his coffee. Everyone chuckled lightly and Lise suddenly remembered something.  
  
"Oh, Heath! While we were all here yesterday and you were with Koren we were thinking about Quinn. I mean, why he's here and all."  
  
"Oh?" replied Heath, not surprised, "Does it have anything to do with the Mana Crystals?" Lise looked heartbroken.  
  
"B-but how did you know?"   
  
"Oh, I knew that was the reason when I first saw him. Why else would an Elf be here?"  
  
Lise thumped herself on the table in histrionics.  
  
"Ahh! And it took us all afternoon yesterday to figure it out..." she whined while Hawk patted her back sympathetically.  
  
"...Maybe I should've just had breakfast in the room today..." Heath thought aloud and the Darkshine Knight nodded.  
  
"I'm startin' to agree with you."  
  
~*~  
  
"COWARD!"  
  
"BITTER WITCH!"  
  
"BOY SCOUT!"  
  
"TEN LUC WHORE!"  
  
"TEN LUC?!?" Smack.  
  
"Oh for crying out..." Koren muttered angrily into his pillow before putting it over his head. He'd woken up in the middle of a new war between Altena and Forcena with Duran and Angela screaming and wrestling outside his door. Angrily, he sat up slowly and pelted an Earthquake rock at the door.  
  
"SHUT UP!" he yelled, and a few seconds after, they both peered into his room. Duran had a black eye and Angela's hair was very tussled.  
  
"Whoa. Uhm. Sorry, Koren." Angela apologized while Duran began to sneak away. The Magus caught him by the back of his shirt and dragged him back. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Not exactly well rested." Retorted Koren sharply, "But I have a lot more strength today than yesterday."  
  
"Heath's fighting today." Angela remarked, kicking Duran in the shin before continuing, "Are you going to be okay while he's gone?"  
  
"I'll manage."  
  
"Uhm...right. Okay then, see yo---DURAN YOU LITTLE---"  
  
"CATCH ME IF YOU CAN BITCH! HAHAHAHA!" Angela slammed the door shut and Koren sighed and flopped down on the bed.  
  
"I think they like each other." He said to himself.  
  
~*~  
  
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the fourth fight of the Grand Tournament!" Shichi cheered in her usual squeaky voice, sending the crowd into frenzy. "We apologize for the delay of this fight, but today it's sure to be a good one! Today's fighters are Heath from the Mirage Palace and Quinn from the Flowergarden Forest!"  
  
The gate before Heath opened and he stepped out into the sunlight, briskly making his way to the center of the arena. Quinn stepped up to him and gave him a superior look, ears wiggling slightly to make his earrings jingle.  
  
"Now, before we fight we must discuss the rules..."  
  
"Little girl," started Quinn, "I think we all know what we're gonna say. Fight to the death or otherwise."  
  
Shichi was silent.  
  
"...Little girl?" Shichi suddenly let out a human growl and seemed to grow three feet in size. She developed claws and her eyes burned as red as the sunset. She started the Elf in the eyes and hissed.  
  
"I am NOT a little girl..." she snarled, startling everyone in the stadium into silence. Quinn nodded calmly, and in a split second, Shichi was back to her normal cute self.  
  
"Alright then! The rules are a fight to the death or unconsciousness!" she cheered, and it took the crowd awhile to register it was okay to go along with her. She stepped back and raised her hand.  
  
"Ready...set...FIGHT!" she swung her arm down and Heath took a spell casting position while Quinn just stood there mockingly.  
  
"So do you really think your boyfriend is going to get better?" he asked, sweeping his hair back. Heath's eyes narrowed. "I mean, come on. He's already near dead as it is. Why don't you just give up?"  
  
There was a rustle, a flash, and Heath was on the other side of Quinn. The Elf felt a trickle of blood go down his chin and chuckled. Heath turned around sharply.  
  
"I know he'll get better." The Mirage Mage stated confidently. "He won't fail as long as I'm there with him."  
  
"Well then," replied Quinn challengingly as he whipped out his bow. "I guess we'll just have to see what he can do without you." Quick as lightning, the archer pulled out an arrow, tucked it in his bow and sent it flying at Heath who dodged out of the way just in time. However, Quinn kept firing at the same speed, leaving Heath only enough time to barely dodge out of the way. Quinn finally stopped and raised his hand into the air. His entire body became covered in a green aura.  
  
"I hope you enjoy this as much as I will! LEAF SABRE!" he cried and balls of pure energy erupted from his hand and spiraled up into the air before descending upon his weapon, causing it to glow a forest green. Heath reinstated his spell casting position and began to chant for Holy Ball.  
  
"You won't even have time!" Quinn shouted, and pulled out three arrows and tucked them in his bow. "TRINITY FLASH!"   
  
Heath opened his eyes in time to see the three arrows flying at him at godlike speed. Quinn was right; he didn't have time. The three spears struck his shoulders and sent him flying with their force. Landing hard on the ground, Heath hissed in the blinding pain and removed the three arrows to find that his blood had turned a nasty green.  
  
'Poisoned.' Heath thought dryly, and began to chant for Tinkle Rain, but Quinn had already prepared another three arrows.  
  
"Don't you understand? I'm just too quick for you!" he taunted and drew back his bow. "TRINITY FLASH!" The arrows flew at Heath, causing the Mage to simply gasp in fear watching one fly right for his forehead.  
  
*~*  
  
The mysterious archer Quinn has left Heath helpless to his attacks, with no time to dodge nor defend! Is this the end of the Mirage Mage?  
  
*~*  
  
CLIFFHANGER! Bwahaha, I'm so evil to y'all. But that doesn't mean you don't review. No...no! Press the button...right there. Yeah. Okay then. Just do it!  
  
Oh, and I forgot to mention this in the earlier Author's Note, but I am currently looking for a beta reader to check my story before uploading it onto fanfiction.net and giving me feedback. The perk? You'll be able to read the chapter before anyone else!! If you're interested, drop your e-mail into your review or e-mail me with information on times you are available.  
  
Thanks much! And always review! 


	13. The Heavenly Knight of the Goddess: Mard...

Author's Note: I'm making this chapter early because a) I got the inspiration from both a song and a piece of art and b) I've gotten my beta reader! So everyone give hugs over to Dargon who is my new BR! Okay, let's have fun now, shall we?  
  
The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Heath's violet eyes widened in fear watching his death fly at his face.   
  
'So this is it...' he thought anxiously, taking in a breath. Everything seemed to slow down, even the arrows decreased in midair. The Mirage Mage felt numb to the fear of impending doom and let himself slip into sub-consciousness.  
  
~*~  
  
The boyish frame stood in the stairwell, looking below in horror. His mother's silver hair was streaked with blood, her pointed ears partially torn away and burnt. Her body was could scarcely be called Elfish anymore, tangled and broken like a child's doll discarded without thought. But what truly struck fear into his heart was the other man staring at the body as well, holding a dagger drenched in the crimson life of his mother.  
  
His father.  
  
All that came out of the boy's mouth was a scream before a gloved hand clamped over it and drugged him asleep.  
  
And the next day, he was all alone.  
  
~*~  
  
Heath released his agony with an inhuman scream of pain, flying back into his reality. The warmth of anger seared through his body and focused at his tiara shard, which began to glow intensely. Suddenly, the arrows were gone and Heath had disappeared as well.  
  
"Well! This is certainly a surprise! Heath has mysteriously vanished while evading Quinn's Trinity Flash! Where on earth did he go?" Shichi squeaked into her microphone, looking around wildly. Quinn was in shock, his bow dropped.  
  
"How on earth did he do that?!?" he asked aloud angrily, slightly shaking. "Only one with access to a Mana Crystal can manage that!"  
  
"Oh! Wow! Look above you people! There's our missing man!" Shichi cried, pointing up. Heath drifted above the arena, his aura a brilliant blue with the wings of an angel on his back, made of a holy light. Quinn could only gaze in fear as the Mirage Mage opened his eyes to reveal them as white as snow before putting his hands together and chanting.  
  
"Born of evil, raised in light, banish all shadow from Goddess sight...I SUMMON THEE MARDUKE!!!" he called out, and threw and stream of golden light into the sky before it descended down and covered the arena floor. Quinn shut his eyes tightly and opened them again to find a winged knight standing before him, holding a glowing broadsword. The Elf had no time to scream before the mercenary brought his blade through his stomach. And just as it had begun, it ended, and Heath landed back on the ground, facing Quinn who was hunched over, covering his stomach in pain.  
  
"So...so...this...is who you really are..." Quinn sputtered, and coughed up blood before Heath's feet. The Elf took a step forward and grabbed the dazed wizard by the neck of his cloak. "I truly understand...now...why you seemed so...heavenly...my...pri...pri..." Quinn fell motionless to the ground, dead before he landed. The blood spilled from his midsection and stained the arena floor.   
  
"And the winner of this fight is, most obviously, Heath of the Mirage Palace!" Shichi announced ceremoniously, avoiding the spreading blood. She raised Heath's fist in glee and the crowd cheered, though most were silent and confused. Heath blinked and reflected the crowd's bemused gaze.  
  
~*~  
  
"There's our guy!" Duran cheered and patted Heath's shoulder cheekily. Heath looked at Duran in surprise.  
  
"That was quick." Was all he said and bowed politely before heading upstairs to his room.  
  
"...That's it? No gloating? No boasting?!?" Duran remarked angrily. "Doesn't he have pride for his battles?"  
  
"You know, lunkhead, not everyone has as big of an ego as you do." Angela hissed sharply. "He can't concentrate, the fight's over and he needs to go check on Koren, that's all." Duran snorted.  
  
"Still, a thanks would've been in order." The Swordmaster retorted, and then felt a heavy hand fall on his shoulder. He looked around to find the Darkshine Knight peering at him.  
  
"You know how much the boy means to him. Must've been on his mind the whole fight." Duran shook his hand off angrily and glared at the Black Knight.  
  
"Is that what you call him now? The boy? You're treating him like he's your son!" Duran growled, and was slightly surprised to see Darkshine's eyes fade slightly but didn't show it in his voice. "I mean," he laughed slightly, "Why do I care so much if he gets better from this illness or not?" Hawk stepped forward and narrowed his eyes at Duran.  
  
"Because, my friend, if he recovers, he'll be all yours to fight. That is what you want, isn't it? To fight him and get revenge for your fellow soldiers who fell in battle to his spells?" Duran remained silent. Hawk's voice remained steady, "Perhaps, Duran, you still have a lot to learn about honor." The Nightblade walked off in haste towards his own quarters. Duran turned around slowly to look at the Darkshine Knight, who met his gaze with sad eyes. Duran suddenly felt a pang of sorrow, maybe even pity, maybe even seeing a little of himself in those eyes...but the Knight avoided the look and walked away. Everyone else left in silence except for Angela who placed a hand on Duran's shoulder.  
  
"Don't worry about it." She said comfortingly, smiling gently. "I understand how you feel; I'm so angry at Koren for being so manipulative and suddenly changing...but he's been my best friend for too long for me to hate him forever."  
  
"...You know, I think I know what I'm really angry about." Duran sat down on a nearby chair, Angela following the suit. "I think, that deep down inside, I really, really want him to get better. And maybe...I'm just...a little jealous of him." Angela raised her eyebrow, her ear tweaking up slightly as well. "The Darkshine Knight acts like his father, always taking care of him and singing his praises of him and..." Duran's voice faded away, then resurfaced, "I've never really had that."  
  
"Neither have I." Angela said succinctly, twirling her hair. "Never knew my father, and my mother...well, you know how that goes." She sighed heavily and looked at Duran. "You going to be okay?"  
  
"Yeah...I think I'll apologize to him tonight. You know...it's another weird thing but..." Duran paused, "...I swear, when I looked at Darkshine after Hawk talked to me...I swear I saw his eyes. I mean, not the glowing ones; his real eyes. They were honey brown...golden almost. Reminded me of my dad." Duran tried as hard as he could, but finally let out a sniffle. Angela's face fell, and she hesitated slightly before cupping the Swordmaster's chin in her hand and brushing her lips against his. At first, he only stood still, slightly dazed, and then slowly returned the kiss. It started slow, and then became more passionate as time went on.  
  
"Oooooh!"  
  
The two heads snapped in the direction of the cat call, finding Carlie smirking up at them from the entrance. Because of her small size, they didn't' even realize that she hadn't left with the others.  
  
"Oooooooh, Carlie caught Duran and Angie kissssiiiiing!" she taunted, giggling insanely. "Angie and Duran, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S---"  
  
"CARLIE YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" the pair screamed together and chased the now screaming girl through the hotel.  
  
~*~  
  
"So...that's all that happened?" Koren remarked, stroking Heath's hair as he lay next to him. Heath nodded slowly.  
  
"It was like a dream...a wonderful dream. But, really confusing." Heath looked in Koren's ocean-blue eyes. "It was like waking up from a very long nightmare, but the dream ends so short and suddenly the nightmare is back..."  
  
"What nightmare?" asked Koren softly, eyes turning concerned. Heath bit his lip and then moved in closer to the wizard.  
  
"I saw it happen..." he whispered, causing Koren to lean in even more to hear properly. "I saw it all happen when it did. I heard the screams and the shouts and I rushed downstairs..."  
  
"Heath..."  
  
"And she was just lying there...not moving." Heath's gaze slipped away from his lover's eyes. "Dead. Covered in blood...and my...my...father..."  
  
"Your father?" asked Koren, bewildered. "What...Heath...?"  
  
"...My father killed my mother." Heath spoke plainly, setting his head down so close to Koren's their noses touched. "I remember it all now. I've always known but...I forgot...what had happened...exactly."   
  
Koren remained silent, before gently running his hand through Heath's silver mane and resting it on his neck. Heath sighed and nudged Koren lovingly. Then, abruptly, he sobbed quietly in his boyfriend's arms.  
  
"It's okay," whispered Koren, gripping Heath's robes and rubbing his back gently, "It's gone. It's over. It's going to be okay." Heath breathed deeply and after awhile, stopped crying. Koren continued to hold the mage until an idea struck his mind.  
  
"Hey. Let's have a party tonight...you know, to celebrate your victory!" he exclaimed, rubbing Heath's arm. "Get us in a better mood."  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Heath nervously. "Are you...are you well enough." Koren smiled and threw his head slightly to the left, directing Heath's eyes to two empty plates on the nightstand, each slightly smeared with food. "Lunch. Ate all of breakfast too." Heath turned to Koren, eyes wide with happiness. "Mind you, love, I got terribly sick after eating so much. Not used to it and all. But I'm up for a party."   
  
"...You...you...do you know how happy you make me?!?" Heath cried in joy and kissed Koren in pure elation. "You make everything bad go away with just your touch and your lips and..." Heath paused, stroking back a lock of golden hair from Koren's face, "...and I love you."  
  
"I love you too." Koren whispered, and put his hand behind Heath's head to push his lips on his own. When they released Heath grinned.  
  
"Let's have a huge party tonight!"  
  
~*~  
  
Music blared loudly as the fireflies drifted lazily in the background. The brightly colored lanterns floated magically against the walls of the balcony. The entire Mana team was out and laughing, enjoying fresh diceberry and applesock punch and delicious cake (compliments of the chef, after Heath bribed him). Angela, Duran, Lise, Kevin and Carlie were dancing on the stone floor, laughing as they twirled with each other. Hawk and the Darkshine Knight were deep in conversation about the latest weapon deals from the Black Market and Heath and Koren sat near them discussing Angela's way of dance. Mocking it, rather. Even though it had taken nearly half an hour, Koren had finished a small piece of cake and a glass of punch, his dessert for the night.  
  
"I think I really missed desert, actually." He admitted to Heath when Darkshine and Hawk weren't listening. "I loved this one cake the castle chef always used to make...apripuppy cheesecake I think..."  
  
"Really?" Heath whispered back, excited. "I have a great recipe for that." The two men laughed and the other two looked at them quizzically.  
  
The music switched to a slow love song, and almost like magnets, Duran and Angela found themselves in each other's arms. Kevin bent down to lock hands with Carlie and they swayed back and forth, giggling. Koren slowly stood with Heath and they walked onto the stone floor, beginning to dance. Duran glanced over, and Angela followed his gaze.  
  
"You know," she began, drawing herself closer. Duran's face heated, "It's quite a norm in Altena."  
  
"Really? I guess that would make Forcena a really close-minded place then." Duran replied, slipping his hands to Angela's slim waist. "I don't really care, I mean, I do...but, I'm not really against it. It's just...I've never seen..."  
  
"It's okay, it's just different to you. It's so common in Altena, everyone is just kinda peaceful with it. To us, it doesn't matter who you fall in love with." She looked into Duran's eyes. They stared at each other for a long moment before leaning in and kissing.   
  
"Oh my...Heath!" whispered Koren and pointed over to Duran and Angela. Heath gasped quietly in delight.  
  
"You know, I always had a feeling they were meant for each other." Heath replied, resting his head on Koren's shoulder. Smiling, Koren kissed the mage's ear gently before being interrupted by a poking at his leg. He looked down and saw Carlie looking up at him, holding out her hand.  
  
"Can Carlie dance with Heath?" she asked innocently. Koren nodded and stepped away as Heath smiled and picked up Carlie. She giggled happily and kissed his cheek. Laughing, Koren leaned over and whispered into his ear: "You know, you're pretty good with kids. You'd make a good father." Heath blushed and stuck his tongue out playfully at the wizard. Still smiling, Koren turned back to Angela and Duran who had stopped kissing by continued to dance. Koren walked slowly over to them and tapped Duran on the shoulder.  
  
"Mind if I cut in?" he asked and nodded to Angela to avoid confusion. Obviously relieved that he hadn't asked him, Duran laughed slightly and nodded, walking away. Koren smiled and put his arms around Angela's waist lightly as she put her arms around his neck.  
  
"Well that was surprising, dear." Koren started, looking at Angela with intrigue. "Never saw that in you, actually. You're always hitting him around." Angela laughed.  
  
"It's because he deserves it for being an idiot." She replied and then smiled. Koren looked back over at Heath to find him and Carlie rocking back and forth while Carlie told him how much she missed him.  
  
"You and Heath, you two are like magic I swear." She giggled and hugged Koren just a little. "It's so cute."  
  
"Oh hush up you," whispered Koren playfully. Angela smiled, almost cried; so happy to see Koren almost back to his normal self. Just almost.  
  
"It's true. It's amazing between you two."  
  
"I can't help it...I'm in love with him." Koren was surprised by how easily those words came out, and looked at Angela's amused expression. "What?"  
  
"Aww..." she cooed and pinched his cheek.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
Lise stood quietly near Hawk's table, trying to convince herself to just walk over and ask for a dance. Finally, she stepped over and held her hand out.  
  
"Hawk, would you like to dance with me?" she asked, her voice slightly squeaking. Hawk looked up and grinned wolfishly.  
  
"With pleasure, m'dear." He replied and stood up and walked over with Lise onto the floor and began to dance with her. "Thought you'd never ask."  
  
"Well, I didn't know if you'd say yes." She answered, shrugging. "With Jessica and all..."  
  
"Meh. Jessica." He shrugged back. "I've been thinking about her and all and I know it sounds crazy but I don't think it's meant to be." Lise gawked.  
  
"What? You went on this whole quest for her and now you're saying that..."  
  
"...It's not that I don't love her. I do, but just as a close friend. You know." Hawk interrupted. "I've just fallen in love with something other than the rose of the sand." Lise felt her cheeks burn and her heart quicken, and yet she still asked.  
  
"...so...what would that be?"  
  
"A flower of the mountains." They kissed.  
  
"Is this just a huge make-out party or what tonight? God, this is supposed to be a party for Heath..." whispered Koren, chuckling. Angela giggled.   
  
"Seems like you and Heath are no longer to two lovebirds in this hotel." She replied. Koren looked like he was trying hard not to burst out laughing. "Oh you! Quit it!"  
  
"It's just so cute."   
  
"Koren..."  
  
"Well it is!" he replied, and laughed again. Angela laughed out loud as well and dropped her arms as the song ended. A fast paced song came back on and she smiled.   
  
"Guess I should sit on this one. I don't want anything to happen." Koren said and before leaving kissed Angela's cheek gently. "Thanks Angel."   
  
The princess could only stare after him as he walked back to Heath and sat down. Angel. His old nickname for her...  
  
'Maybe...things will change. Maybe I'll have my old friend back soon enough.' She thought happily. Duran marched back over to her, smiling.  
  
"Apology accepted by the Darkshine Knight!" he said triumphantly. Angela nodded and then noticed the hulking figure behind him. "Angela?"  
  
Sploosh!  
  
A barrel of water had been poured over Duran's head, causing all the party-goers to burst out laughing.  
  
"NOW, I completely forgive you, Sir Duran." Spoke Darkshine and bowed before going back to his table. The Swordmaster spat out water and sighed.  
  
"Guess I deserved that." Duran chuckled and Angela laughed and embraced him.  
  
'Then again, I guess some things will never change.'  
  
*~*  
  
With peace returning to our heroes, the night ends happily. But what of the next day, when the fifth fight occurs between two members of the Mana Team?  
  
*~*  
  
I told ya I'd have your couples waiting for you. Sorry to be so brief with the Hawk/Lise one, but it develops more, you'll see.  
  
REVIEW OR I'LL KILL YOUR FAMILIES!  
  
...Kidding. 


	14. Fight 5: The Darkshine Knight vs Hawk

A/N: BWAHAHA! ((hack, sneeze, choke, gurgle))  
  
That's right! It's cold and flu season! Which explains the delay of this chapter. ((sneezes again)) Make sure y'all get your shots...unfortunately, mine hit before I had a chance ((hack)). So with nothing else to do I decided to write this...since I haven't been in class for the past three days...evilness...((sneeze)). Well, here you go, and as always, REVIEW OR I'LL SPREAD THE PLAGUE UPON YOU!! ((hacks up lung))...O_O Didn't need that thing anyway.  
  
CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE END OF DURAN/ANGELA QUEST. YOU WERE WARNED.   
  
*~*  
  
The Grand Tournament   
  
Chapter 13  
  
~*~  
  
Sitting up sluggishly in bed, Hawk rubbed his temples before running his hands through his long hair. The sun hadn't even risen, and after their long night at the party, the Nightblade was certain he should be more tired. After a few minutes of trying in vain to go back to sleep, he finally gave up, grabbed his robe, and stumbled out of the room quietly.  
  
Shuffling down the hallway, Hawk paused, startled to find the Darkshine Knight leaning against the wall.   
  
"Couldn't sleep either?" The thief's tired voice caused the Knight to look up in surprise, his eyes dim; a sure sign of lack of sleep.  
  
"...It's hard to sleep knowing you have to fight a battle. Especially against one of your new friends." Hawk blinked at Darkshine's statement. Friend? Did Darkshine consider him a friend?  
  
'Well of course, you idiot.' Hawk's mind retorted, 'You've been talking a lot lately and getting to know each other...and you think of him as a friend too, so don't act so shocked.'   
  
"Agreed. Let's get some air outside, c'mon."  
  
~*~  
  
"What is it like," Hawk began, breathing in the cool morning air, "to constantly be in that armor?" Darkshine's eyes faltered.  
  
"It's like a cage. Like a cage that has no lock or key but you're still trapped inside of it."  
  
"Just physically, I can understand that." Hawk replied, looking out onto the horizon where the sun god was beginning to peak out its eye, "But what do you feel?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Darkshine?"  
  
"I feel...lost. Alone, even though you're standing right next to me. And I feel like I can't speak, even though I'm telling you this right now. I can't free myself, Hawk, I can't even say what I want to say. I guess I don't know what it's like, because I can't even feel it anymore..."   
  
Hawk remained silent, aware of Darkshine's discomfort. Then, Darkshine brought his hands to his head and unbuckled the steel straps around his ears, lifted the crown of the heavy helmet, and set it down on the ground. Hawk gazed in awe as Darkshine then took off the rest of the headgear and opened his true, non-ghostly eyes.  
  
'What? I've...I've seen this guy before...have I? He looks just like...just like...' Hawk's eyes widened.  
  
"Hawk, if I may ask a favor of you, please, during our fight today?"   
  
~*~  
  
"Welcome to the fifth fight of the Grand Tournament! Today is sure to be a doozy, since we have two competitors from the same team going against each other! Mind you, the committee didn't know that until much later, but the fighters have agreed to battle on anyway!" Shichi bubbled up and down, giggling and winking at the cheering crowd.  
  
"So strange...Hawk wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning. I wonder where he went off to?" Lise mused aloud, playing with her hair ribbon. Heath glanced over.  
  
"The Deathjester also said that Darkshine wasn't there when he woke up...maybe they went to talk or something. Makes sense." The Mage explained, shrugging. Angela perked up suddenly.  
  
"So maybe they talked about, like, making a truce or something! That'd be so cool! That way..." Duran cleared his throat, making Angela stop mid-sentence.  
  
"...No. Neither the Darkshine Knight nor Hawk would ever back down from a fight, they're going to duke it out no matter what you think or hope. It's just the way they do things I guess." The Swordmaster explained and settled down again, making Angela huff in disappointment.  
  
"Coming in at the left side of the arena is the Darkshine Knight of the Glass Desert! And to my right is Hawk of the Sands of Navarre!" the miniature referee squealed in delight as both fighter appeared in their respective places and made their way into the arena. Hawk stood boldly, trying to reclaim his thoughts after he and Darkshine's discussion.  
  
'Just remember what to do and when to do it, or else it's going to end in disaster. Just remember...' he reassured himself, picturing Darkshine's true face, his eyes full of pleading mercy, of hurt and pain...  
  
"All right gentlemen, I want a good, clean fight...but of course, you can tear each other to pieces!" shouted Shichi, sending the crowd ablaze with screams of delight. Hawk and Darkshine stood motionless, glaring each other down before the final call.  
  
"Ready...aaannnd...BEGIN!"   
  
Hawk darted from the center of the arena to the side and placed his hands on his dagger sheaths; Darkshine hadn't moved.  
  
'Good, he's doing what he said he would...meaning...'  
  
Darkshine opened his hand to reveal a glowing orb of black light, which grew bigger and longer as each second passed. Slowly, it formed into the shadow of a sword, before surfacing as a reality; being a sword of pure onyx and obsidian, sharp as dragon teeth. He took his stance, ready to attack his opponent at any second. Hawk took in a breath. Silence prevailed only for a second before the clang of metal echoed throughout the arena as Darkshine and Hawk stood locked with blades drawn. Hawk pushed forward his kodachi to try and knock the knight off his balance, but Darkshine pushed back with his dark sword. Black lightning began to crack between the two warriors and they finally separated only to throw themselves at each other again and again in a strange dance of strength.  
  
"Since this still is a fight, I guess I should show off a little bit." Chuckled Darkshine, and jumped back far enough to create a good distance between him and the Nightblade. Hawk stood at defense while the Knight began to chant and his sword began to glow crimson. Hawk suddenly felt the air around him turn as hot as a mid-summer day, and shielded his face from the burning emanating from Darkshine. The Knight plunged his sword into the air and it suddenly burst into brilliant flame, causing Hawk to retreat slightly into his cloak.  
  
"ERUPTION SWORD!!" roared Darkshine, and he plunged the red-hot blade into the arena floor, causing a deep crack to start racing towards Hawk. Eyes wide, the thief jumped out of the way just in time before a stream of magma shot into the air like a fountain. Landing at the edge of the arena, Hawk gazed in shock at Darkshine's power.  
  
'Is that what he meant by the powers the Emperor gave him?' Hawk's mind raced as he stood up to meet Darkshine who was standing amidst the bubbling lava. Hawk smirked.  
  
"Might as well show off myself." He collected himself within his cape and the very air around him began to hum. Darkshine continued to glare, seemingly non-pulsed by Hawk's sudden change in battle tactic. A dark aura surrounded the thief as he collected all his energy and began to blur out of everyone's sight. When Darkshine blinked for just a moment, his eyes opened to three Hawks standing before him, all poised for attack.  
  
"This is the power of a Nightblade! SPLIT IMAGE SLICE!" Hawk cried, and his two clones dashed forward and began to rip and tear into Darkshine like animals.  
  
'The pain...argh, I didn't know it would be this intense...' Darkshine thought, trying to shake off the doppelgangers to no avail.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"See, I told you, neither one is holding back." Duran commented, gripping the edges of his chair in anxiety. Angela stared down as well, beginning to bite her nails.   
  
"Heath," Heath turned to Angela, "...What if Darkshine doesn't make it? How will Koren take it...I mean, I know they're close..." Angela asked quietly. Heath crossed his arms and thought for a moment.  
  
"He'll be upset, but from what I know about him he'll understand that it is a battle that Darkshine had to fight. Just like his fight with Jagan, there will only be one winner. I wouldn't worry though, Angela," he soothed, looking at Angela's pained expression, "I think he will be just fine with the news. That is, though, if Darkshine loses in the first place."  
  
"Looks like Hawk has the upper-hand anyway." Lise said, peering down onto the arena, "But that lava is beginning to get everywhere, he better watch out."   
  
~*~  
  
Withdrawing his clones, Hawk stood looking at the crippled Darkshine, who was badly injured from his attack.  
  
'Do I use it now? Or should I wait a little longer?' the Nightblade thought hurriedly. His question was answered when Darkshine stood up and pointed his sword at Hawk.  
  
"You might want to watch out there, friend. The Lava is surrounding you now." It was more a statement of the obvious than a taunt, and Hawk glanced around to find that Darkshine was right; all the remained of Hawk's footing was a small pillar which had formed due to the lava erosion. Darkshine sheathed his sword and took an unfamiliar stance before Hawk, standing in the lava with no damage with the protection of his armor. "As much as I enjoy this fight, it has to end soon..." Hawk noted the pause in Darkshine's voice, knowing the time was near, "Birds of prey need not battle each other over so simple a reason."  
  
"I agree." Hawk replied, and crossed his daggers across his chest. Darkshine placed a hand on the hilt of his giant sword and prepared to dash forward. Almost on cue, he did, racing forward like a streak of black light towards the Nightblade, who had the final attack ready for him.  
  
"SOUL REAPER SCREAM!" Hawk shrieked, and uncrossed his black, glowing knives. Eyes shimmering with the dark magic he lunged forward at Darkshine.  
  
'Okay, my friend, this is what you wanted, so...'  
  
The knife plunged itself through the Knight's armor, penetrating the very depths of Darkshine's soul. The Knight felt as if a key had been turned; as if he could finally breathe.   
  
Instantly, the lava dissipated into a cloud of red steam and the crowd gasped in awe, watching the very still Hawk plunge his kodachi deeper into the wound. Darkshine's eyes faltered once more, and dimmed greatly, peering into Hawk's own. Hawk watched in amazement as for the second time that day, the eyes turned from a glowing violet to a simmering golden-brown.   
  
'That is what I wanted. This is what I need...' Darkshine's voice echoed throughout Hawk's mind, 'I will wait for you, please hurry after everyone congratulates you. East...tower...' Darkshine's heavy body then suddenly gave way to the forces of life beyond reckoning, and fell before Hawk's feet in submission. The armor and knight evaporated into black mist before being blown away from the arena. Silence filled the air as Hawk simply kept his head down, recollecting himself.   
  
"Well, that was sure quick! And the winner of this fight is...Hawk of the Sands of Navarre!!" Shichi cried in glee and the crowd went berserk with screams and shouts. Hawk did not wave, instead, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a red, featureless mask with but only two eye holes and put it on before turning to leave the arena.  
  
~*~  
  
"That was so fast...I didn't know that Hawk was that powerful...I better watch my back, huh?" Joked Duran to Angela, who seemed indifferent about the situation. "Angie?"  
  
"Sorry Duran, do you mind if I spend a little time with Heath for just a bit? I'm sorry...I just..." the Princess tried to explain, but instead trotted ahead of the corridor towards Heath who waited before his bedroom door.  
  
"Uhm? Sure...Angie..." Duran faltered, shrugged, and entered his room peacefully. Angela then turned to Heath expectantly.  
  
"That wasn't a normal spell he cast on Darkshine." She stated, twirling her hair. Heath shifted his weight, "It was different...and why did the fight end so quick? Was...was it deliberate...?"   
  
"I'm not sure." Replied Heath simply, unlocking the door and stepping inside, "It was a soul magic...pretty rare. It's only purpose is to fully dissolve another being's soul, erasing them from existence, without a chance to ever be reborn. It's strange. I didn't know that Hawk had that spell on him...let alone that he would use it on someone he was so friendly with."  
  
"What do you mean?" Angela asked, keeping her voice low as soon as she spotted the sleeping Koren tucked under the bed sheets. Heath smiled partially at the Wizard's sleeping form before answering the question.  
  
"The spell usually only used by people who have a severe hatred of the person...or a true feeling of revenge. That's what makes the spell so effective: it feeds off the hatred of the caster."   
  
"This is too confusing." Angela remarked, sitting down on a chair and rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Why...would he do that?"  
  
~*~  
  
Hawk raced up the tower stairs, black cloak billowing behind him. Finally reaching the heavy wooden door, he burst through and paused in the doorway, amazed. The room set before him was a brilliant bedroom chamber, adorned with satin drapes and beautiful furniture, all blood red and furnished with gold. Lying on the bed was a muscular figure, unmoving and un-breathing. Hawk rushed forth to the bed and shook the man.  
  
"Hey! C'mon! Tell me that it worked! If it didn't...god...if it didn't..." Hawk bit his lip nervously, then gasped slightly when the figure opened his eyes and looked up at the thief.  
  
"...It worked. I'm...I'm back to normal...the curse is lifted!" he shouted happily and threw his fist into the air. Hawk stood back and watched the man stand up, proud of himself. Decked in golden armor, the knight rose above Hawk and grinned happily.  
  
"Since I can do this now, I might as well." He said, alto voice running clear as a spring brook. He outstretched his hand, worn from battle, "I am Loki, Knight of Gold, and I humbly thank you for saving my life." Hawk grinned and shook Loki's hand gratefully. Letting their hands drop Hawk looked up at the knight.  
  
"Loki...would you mind explaining something to me?" the Nightblade asked, walking over towards a furnished chair and sitting down. Loki nodded.  
  
"Go ahead and ask."  
  
"How did that spell work? You didn't really explain it fully to me." Hawk began, taking off his gloves. "All you said is that the spell dissipated a soul out of existence."  
  
"Well, that's right. It does do that. But when one has two souls, they continue to live after being a victim of the Soul Reap. When I was Darkshine Knight, the heavy armor trapped my body and my two souls inside so the power would not overcome me. The spell attacked the dominating soul, the dark one which the Dragon Emperor placed within me, and so my original soul was able to come back into command."  
  
"It's confusing, I know," Loki went on, sitting down as well on a chair opposite of Hawk, "But that magic can only be used when there is a severe hatred for the victim of the spell. How exactly did you pull it off?" Hawk shuffled.  
  
"Well...I picked up from what little you told me before the fight that you were basically a slave for the Emperor...which made me hate him. So I used that hatred against you...since, technically, you were a part of the Dragon Empire." Loki nodded. "What do you propose to do now though, Sir Loki? Can you simply return to the others like this?" Loki shook his head.  
  
"No. I cannot tell you why though...all I have to say to you is that I want you to bring Duran up here. Do you understand? Don't tell him why, just direct him to the tower."  
  
"Right, no problem!" Hawk replied and left the room and Loki behind. Sighing, Loki placed a hand on his sword hilt.  
  
"This will take some time to explain to him..."  
  
*~*  
  
With Loki returned to his normal self, how will Duran react to find his father still alive? And how will the Swordmaster deal with the fact his father had worked for the enemy?  
  
*~*  
  
((hack)) Long, yes. Out of my usual chapter format, yes. But I hope you liked it! Sorry for such the long delay...once again...cold and flu season!!  
  
REVIEW. NOOOOW. Or I'll sick me leprechauns on ya. 


	15. Tears of a warrior: Loki and Duran meet ...

A very serious A/N: I hate life. Honest to god I do. My tonsil got infected...how lovely. It hurt so bad but it's getting better. God what's with me getting sick? My boyfriend says that it's a sign that I must write a new chapter because I have nothing else to do. But seriously people, I have to give a goddamn speech.  
  
The reason I have an infected tonsil is because I've been bulimic for about two years. And it's really starting to affect me physically and I just wanted to warn everyone. Koren's condition is something to take seriously, as is every eating disorder. If anyone you know or even you has an eating disorder, please seek help. It's worth it. Trust me.  
  
Okay, back to the story.  
  
*~*  
  
The Grand Tournament   
  
Chapter 14  
  
~*~  
  
"Hawk, just tell me why I have to go to the tower, okay?" Duran pleaded, resisting Hawk's pull. Hawk gripped a doorframe in an attempt to drag the lug faster.  
  
"I can't tell youwhy, you idiot. Just shut up and follow me already!" Duran heaved a sigh and finally stopped resisting and let Hawk walk him up to the tower. The sun had died and with the moon barely risen, there was hardly enough light to lead them up the stairs. Reaching the heavy door, Hawk roughly pushed Duran in front of it and turned to leave.  
  
"What? Wait! Hawk, aren't you..." the warrior began, but once he saw his companion's eyes he knew his response.  
  
"You have to go in alone. This is your business, not mine. It's not wise to let an assassin in on a private hearing anyway." He winked at the Swordmaster and retreated back into the darkness. Thinking about his words, Duran shrugged and opened the tower door.  
  
He was met with a room of black shadows; moonlight pouring through the balcony windows left everything in silhouette.  
  
"Hello?" Duran called out into the dark, precociously taking a step forward. "You summoned me?" Silence. Then...  
  
"Yes. I did." Duran froze. That voice...he faintly remembered it, yet it's sound stirred something deep within his emotion.  
  
"Show yourself, and tell me why I'm here." The Swordmaster commanded. A sudden spark of fire startled the warrior until it calmed down to rest itself on a candle. A man in glinting armor sat on a chair across the room. Duran steadied himself.  
  
"You are here to learn the truth Duran. The truth about what happened twelve years ago." The man answered, his face still hidden in the shadow. Duran's heart leaped. Twelve years ago was when his father had died.  
  
"What if I don't like the truth?" Duran retorted, walking towards the figure slowly. "What if I'm not ready?"  
  
"It does not matter if you're ready or not, young swordsman," the man explained, and leaned forward into the light, "You must know now."  
  
In Duran's mind, time froze and all that once seemed important turned to useless thought. His childhood flooded in through his mind and out again and a chill ran down his spine. He knew this man's face.  
  
"...Father." Was the only tearful reply that Duran could choke out, falling to his knees. Loki reached out and placed a hand over his son's shoulder, keeping unshed tears at bay.  
  
"Duran, it has been so long..." the boy put his hand on his father's, and Loki continued. "But I have returned to this living world. And in truth, I have been in this living world for over a decade." Duran looked up, sapphire eyes filled with confusion.  
  
"A decade? You fell twelve years ago...why didn't you return to Forcena? To me?" he cried, gripping Loki's hand. The Gold Knight sighed heavily.  
  
"Because my son, I was consumed with shadow and armor."  
  
~*~  
  
"So let me get this straight." Angela tried to confirm, looking at her hand of cards and rubbing her temple. "You just throw my potential boyfriend in a room with his long lost father and expect him to be fine?" She put down two cards and Hawk picked them up, looking at his own hand. With nothing else to do, Angela, Koren, Heath and himself had started a game of cards in Koren and Heath's shared room.  
  
"Basically. You've seen him rush into entire pods of dragons, so why wouldn't he be able to handle this?" Hawk replied, placing three cards down. Heath picked them up.  
  
"You just have to remember that some people might be tough on the outside but actually be quite sensitive on the inside. You know, hard shell but gooey inside." He explained and put only one card down. Koren looked at his hand before hesitantly picking it up.  
  
"I don't ever want to think of Duran as gooey anything, thank you very much. And for that matter, can we get off this subject? It's depressing." Two cards.  
  
"I'm just saying, Koren." Angela began, picking them up and wincing. "He might seem like, well..."  
  
"An utter complete idiot." Koren helped.  
  
"THANK you," Angela hissed and Koren smirked, "but he's really just like a big confused teddy bear."  
  
"In a wet paper bag."  
  
"Shut up, blondie."  
  
"You shut up!"  
  
"BOTH of you just shut up!" Hawk growled, making the two become quiet instantly. He grabbed the cards Angela had put down and shrugged.  
  
"Really, he'll be fine. I've seen him through worse." One card. Heath picked it up and smiled.  
  
"I win." He said simply and spread his cards out, all depicting Myconids. The rest of the group sighed and handed Heath five luc except for Koren.  
  
"Hey, Cheapo, give your boyfriend the money." Angela smirked and Koren stuck out his tongue.  
  
"I'll pay him later." He replied simply and winked, making the silver-haired boy blush.  
  
"I don't want details! Well..." Hawk teased, making everyone laugh. Angela sat back in her chair and looked at the clock.  
  
"Nearly midnight. Why aren't we asleep?" she asked aloud, not looking for an answer.  
  
"Because we have insomnia and you want to make sure that Duran is fine so you can sleep with HIM." Hawk explained and Angela kicked him off the chair.  
  
"Pervert."  
  
Koren yawned and rested his head on Heath's shoulder, "So tell me what you see in him Angela. I don't get it." Angela fiddled with her hands and then smiled.  
  
"I agree with you on the fact that some of the time...he acts like an idiot. But other times he can be really sweet and caring. He knows when to take things seriously and when to make jokes. Plus, he's an ultra-hunk and you know it. Koren? Kor-HEY!" Angela glared at Koren who had fallen asleep on Heath's shoulder in the short time of her explanation.  
  
"That little loser..." she growled and lifted her hand to smack him awake, but Heath stopped her.  
  
"Just let him sleep, he's more tired than you think." Heath explained and then turned to Hawk. "So Lise couldn't join us because of her fight tomorrow, right?"   
  
Hawk shrugged. "She said she had to perform some "Empowering Ritual" or something to make herself stronger before the match. Some Rolantian mumbo-jumbo. I don't really care." He shuffled the cards absent-mindedly. "She does whatever she wants, unlike Jessica."  
  
"Yeah, what about her anyway though, Hawk?" Angela asked, slightly scowling. "The whole reason you went on this journey was to save her and now you've gone and fallen in love with another girl. What's going to happen now?"   
  
"It's not like just because I'm in love with Lise, doesn't mean that I don't care for Jessica." Hawk sighed, and began to deal out the cards again. "We've been best friends since...ever. And I'm also on this trip to avenge Eagle..." the Nightblade paused, and Angela found herself unable to read his face. "So I'm still out on the main reason. Don't worry about it, Magus." He winked and looked at his hand. The grandfather clock suddenly stroke midnight, startling the sleeping wizard.  
  
"What? What...Damnit! I was having the best dream!" He complained and set his head on the table. Hawk gave him five cards.  
  
"What was it?" he asked and Koren smirked.  
  
"I was in a room full of..." suddenly his face turned red and he looked away. Angela raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What?"  
  
"...My Little Rabite plushies..."  
  
The group burst into laughter.  
  
"It's NOT funny! I can't help it, I have a soft spot for those things!" Koren argued, but eventually started to laugh as well.   
  
"You used to obsess over them when we were kids," Angela snorted, and put a card down, "Victor, me and you. Remember?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Suddenly, a loud slam was heard from the corridor above and heavy footsteps. Angela blinked.  
  
"I know those boots. I'll be right back." She said, and rushed out the door. Koren stood up and looked after her.  
  
"If she's gone...can I have her cards?"  
  
~*~  
  
Duran rushed to the front of the hotel, tears running down his face. The chilly midnight air caught him in midstep and he stopped running. He stood there, looking at the ground and letting his tears flow. Angela rushed through the glass doors and watched the warrior cry before walking over and touching his shoulder. He pulled away.  
  
"Duran..." she whispered and tried for his shoulder again. This time, he let her. "Duran, it's going to be okay." The warrior turned around, streams of silver tear flowing from his eyes.  
  
"Okay? Okay??" he replied hoarsely, shaking his head. "You have no idea what I just heard..." He sobbed harder. Angela pouted.  
  
"I know it's just hard to accept it...but...you're going to have to, Duran." She soothed, before her voice turned stern. "Because last time I checked, you have a family." Duran looked up quizzically. "I have nothing, Duran. I don't have anything to turn to except you guys. My friends. You people ARE my family." The princess blinked back tears of her own. Duran softened.  
  
"I'm sorry, Angie." He embraced her, "I didn't think. I guess I am fortunate to have my father back. It's just hard to believe that he...that he worked for the man that I hate with all my being."  
  
"But that wasn't his fault!" Angela cried, pushing herself away and glaring up at him. "He was manipulated! Controlled! Are you going to forgive or ignore that innocence?"  
  
Silence. Angela turned away and Duran sighed.  
  
"I must forgive him I suppose." He turned and walked over to a stone bench and sat. "What good does it do to ignore the person I've wanted to embrace all these years?" He sighed again. "I forgive him."  
  
Just as he said that, the glass doors opened again and Loki stepped out. Angela turned and backed away to let the knight approach his son. Loki knelt down and looked at Duran somberly. The Swordmaster looked up, and gave a faint smile.  
  
"I forgive you, Father." He sobbed and embraced Loki. Angela watched the two before smiling.  
  
"Well," she started, making the two warriors look over at her, "If anyone wants me, I'll be in Heath and Koren's room, playing cards." She winked and entered the building again.  
  
~*~  
  
"I win again!" Heath cheered, spreading six Queen Bees on the table. Hawk sighed and forked over ten luc, then looked at Koren.  
  
"How on earth can you pay him twice?!?" Just then, Angela came back.  
  
"Saved by Angie." Koren commented and stuck his tongue out at Hawk. "So what happened?"  
  
"Duran's fine, now." She explained, smiling. "All he needed was some reassurance." Koren snorted.  
  
"What did you do, blow him?" The wizard carefully ducked the Magus's hand and laughed. Angela's eyes narrowed. "What?"  
  
The door to the room opened slowly and Duran and Loki entered together.  
  
"Mind if we join in?" the Swordmaster asked. Hawk grinned and motioned two seats at the table. The knights walked over and sat down, Loki smiling at Koren and the wizard nodding back in recognition. As Hawk began to deal, Koren coughed.  
  
"So...Duran. How was Angela?"  
  
"KOREN!" Angela screamed and flew over the table in an attempt to knock the wizard off his seat. Yet Koren had ducked and ran out of the room with the Princess hot on his tail. The rest laughed.  
  
"And people ask me why I love him." Heath remarked cheerily.  
  
*~*  
  
Duran forgiving Loki was perhaps the hardest thing for the young fighter to do, and Loki coming to terms with his past life settles his long-restless spirit. But what of tomorrow, when the final fight of the first round commences?  
  
*~*  
  
PG-13 people! Heh. Read and review please! Have a great holiday! 


	16. Fight 6: Lise vs Vendice

A/N: Whoohoo! Two more chapters to go of Round One! Then guess what? A special probably three to four chapter long look into the romances of the characters! That's right! Hawk/Lise, Duran/Angela, and Koren/Heath all together in a nice little package! If you wanted more of the romance, here's your time. But still, two chapters away...  
  
Weird little note= I haven't made myself throw up in two months. Yowzeee.  
  
*~*  
  
The Grand Tournament  
  
  
  
Chapter 15  
  
~*~  
  
"You know...if the world suddenly ended in some apocalyptic explosion of doom..." Hawk began, looking intrigued, "I think she'd still be in that position."  
  
Lise, still meditating, had both hands above her head and one of her legs crossed while standing against the bedroom wall. She had stayed like this all night, causing Hawk to worry slightly.  
  
"You might be right...I bet you're right actually." Loki replied, prodding her lightly with his sword sheath. "Should we try and whack her out of it? She has to eat somethin' before her fight."  
  
"Carlie know!!!!!" the half-elf screamed at the top of her lungs, making the two men shudder and cover their ears. "Watch." She said simply, as if it made the most sense in the world. She jumped off her bed, still in her Poto Pajamas with little feet and walked over to Lise. Looking up at her for a moment, she raised her hand and giggled.  
  
"Holy Ball!" She cried and out from her small palm shot a ball of pure light right into the Princess's forehead, snapping her out of her trance.  
  
Hawk took underneath the bed while Loki hid behind the curtains.  
  
"CARLIE YOU LITTLE BRAT YOU GET BACK HERE OR I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE AND MAKE YOU INTO A RUG! I'LL---"   
  
The shouts faded. Hawk and Loki reappeared magically and blinked in bewilderment.  
  
"Lise won't really kill a kid, would she? Hawk?" Loki asked reluctantly. A high-pitched scream came in reply from down the hall.  
  
"...Yes."  
  
"Breakfast in the hall...Breakfast in the hall..." Koren chanted, slowly walking toward the stairwell. "Breakfast in the hall..."  
  
Suddenly, a lightning bolt of curly blonde hair and white robes flashed by him followed by a taller bolt of long blonde hair and blue armor.  
  
"SKIN YOU ALIVE!!! FEED YOU TO THE NEEDLEBIRDS!" Lise screeched, flying down the stairwell after Carlie. Koren pivoted.  
  
"Breakfast in the room...Breakfast in the room...Breakfast..."  
  
It took the combined strength of Duran and Kevin to pull Lise away from Carlie enough to restrain her. Duran wiped his brow.  
  
"WHAT is WITH you Lise?? You're aggressive, but not this murderous...usually." The Swordmaster asked. Lise turned to him.  
  
"It was my meditation. I have the complete urge to kill anything that opposes me...absolutely kill and burn and crush and bite..."  
  
"Lise need calm down. Lise sound like crazy. Lise need juice. And food!" Kevin purred and handed Lise a plate with steak and eggs on it. Lise froze, and Duran winced.  
  
"Aw, shit."  
  
"KILL!!" Lise dove onto her meal like a dragon onto a country village, eating wildly nonstop until there was nothing left. Silence prevailed the table; Angela's eyes were wide and Hawk was cowering slightly. Slowly he stood up and patted Lise's head.  
  
"Calm. Calm. You feel peace...you feel...calm..." He chanted, and Lise began to relax. Hawk brushed his hand against her cheek. "Calm...and...serenity..."  
  
Chomp.  
  
"SHE BIT ME! THE BITCH BIT ME!" Hawk yelled angrily and once again, the strongest of the warriors were forced to break up the quarrel. In the midst of the chaos, three chimes sounded and those who were not involved stood up to leave. Angela shook her head as she walked by Carlie.  
  
"She's crazy. He's crazy. No wonder they're in love."  
  
~*~  
  
"Welcome, ladies and gents, to the final fight of round one!" Shichi cheered, even more bouncy today than ever before. "I am very excited to announce that today's fight is worthy of being saved for last! We have two very strong and powerful women going at it today!" The crowd cheered wildly.   
  
"I am also pleased to announce that after this fight, several teams from our lineup will be given a one-month retreat from the Island of Warriors to return back home and rest! The teams are..."  
  
"Oh my god!" squeaked Angela, almost crying out of mirth, "We get to go HOME! For an entire MONTH! AND LEAVE THIS GODDESS-FORSAKEN ISLAND TO SPEND MY TIME LAVISHLY BACK IN ALTENA CASTLE..." The princess trailed off. Koren smirked.  
  
"That, I believe, is my job." He said coolly, with a hint of malice. Angela glanced over. "In fact, Princess, I believe that there is a warrant out for your arrest. You might want to stay away then." Angela was broken; she forgot about the warrant and her expulsion from the castle. Crap.  
  
"Still...it is a month..." she mumbled. Hawk was practically prancing.  
  
"I get to go back to what I do best!" he exclaimed happily. Angela looked over, still sour from Koren's harsh reality comment.  
  
"Pillaging and womanizing?" she snapped. Hawk winked.  
  
"More or less."  
  
"Hey, hey, guys." Loki spoke up, and everyone turned to him. "We don't know if we're one of the teams, so shut up and listen." Silence prevailed.  
  
"...Team Urkoro, Team Yabon, and...Team Mana!" Shichi concluded, and an explosion took place in the box that company was in.  
  
"I GET TO GO HOME!" Loki yelled in absolute elation, dancing around with Duran by his side. Heath and Koren were hugging each other.  
  
"Come to Altena! It's the absolute best!" Koren cheered and Heath nodded in agreement. The rest didn't even recognize that the fight had almost begun.  
  
~*~  
  
Lise stared at her opponent in an absolute state of serenity. Vendice smoothed her hair back and checked her nails. Shichi was ready to call the fight when Lise took out her spear and calmly set her position, eyes closed.  
  
"Ready...and...BEGIN!" Shichi announced and jumped back. Vendice growled and then smirked.  
  
"So you really are the Queen of Rolante." Lise's eyes flew open. "My cousin described you very well." With her concentration broken, Lise relaxed slightly.  
  
"Cousin?"  
  
"You know her." Vendice rushed forward and swiped at Lise's face, who evaded just in time to whirl her spear around for an attempt at a counterattack, yet Vendice turned around just in time as well and dodged the blow.  
  
"What is her name?" Lise demanded, and focused the tip of her spear at Vendice's chest. The girl smirked.  
  
"Bigieu." She hissed, and began to glow. Lise, completely shocked, didn't even attack while she had the chance. When the glow faded, Vendice re-appeared in a more horrendeous state. She had grown to nearly seven feet tall, and red fur covered her entire body. She developed paws, a tail, and feline-resembling fangs on her once beautiful face. Her bright green eyes had become cat-like and glared at the Starlancer angrily. Lise gasped.  
  
"You're not a normal Beastwoman..." she muttered, and avoided a swipe from the beast's claws. Vendice continued to attack maliciously, each attack becoming more and more furious. Lise took the chance of vaulting over her...  
  
...and was thrown nearly twenty yards away by the animal who roared in triumph when the girl landed, yelping in pain. The crowd gasped.  
  
"No. I'm not." Vendice seethed, and began to stalk Lise on all fours. Try as hard as she could, the Queen found her left arm to be too painful to use, and struggled to no avail to stand.   
  
"You see, we all love our particular ability to transform into something much different than those insolent dogs of the Moonlight Forest." She approached slowly, baring her teeth. "I am an Aychathia, a cat-demon. We hail from the depths of the forest surrounding the Dark Castle." Saliva dripped down her jaw, and Lise struggled harder to crawl and reach her spear. "And we get very, very hungry..." Almost upon her, Vendice roared and opened her mouth wide only to chomp down on Lise's spear, sending her coiling back in pain. Lise stood up, using her spear for support.  
  
"If you are kin of Bigieu's than I have no choice but to kill you!" Lise shouted and ran forward, spear raised, to attack Vendice. Recovered, Vendice rolled to the side and snapped at Lise's heels in agitation. Whirling around, Lise managed to strike Vendice in the eye with the point of her spear, sending a pain-filled roar echoing through the stadium. With the beast crippled and trying to brush blood away from its vision, Lise grasped her arm in pain and sank to her knees.   
  
'I need to remedy this somehow...oh!' She thought, and untied her long blonde hair and withdrew her ribbon. Using her mouth and usable hand, she created a sling well formed enough to help her shattered arm. Standing again, she took her spear up and readied to charge at Vendice, who was still crippled on the ground.  
  
Giving a war cry, the Starlancer charged and lifted her spear up high. But, Vendice had been playing possum while sitting on the ground and growled in malice. As Lise came down from the air, Vendice opened her mouth and sank her fangs deep into Lise's leg, making the Queen scream in agony.  
  
~*~  
  
"LISE!" Hawk shouted, banging on the box window. "LISE, PLEASE, STAND UP!" He yelled in hopelessness and sank into his chair in disbelief. "No..."  
  
"Hey, Hawk, c'mon, she's not dead!" Duran tried to sooth, but Hawk took his head into his hands and shook.  
  
"You don't understand. A bite from an Aychathia is extremely poisonous. Most grown men die within a matter of minutes." He took out a knife and threw it at the wall. "DAMNIT!" Duran froze.  
  
"But...she's not like anybody else! She's an Amazoness, and they're much stronger than any other average grown man! She can make it, just long enough to end the fight and let us help her...right? ...Heath? Right?" Duran looked at Heath hopefully, but the Mage looked solemn.  
  
"Only by a slim margin, Duran. I expect the poison might overwhelm her in ten minutes." He replied, clasping his hands. Hawk stood up.  
  
"Well I'm not standing around here while she dies!" the Nightblade exclaimed and jumped for the exit of the box and flew down the stairs.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
Green blood gushed from Lise's leg as she laid writhing in pain. Vendice snarled and roared triumphantly.  
  
"So you know now. The ultimate pain...just as my cousin wished. You will die slowly and in much agony. And I will watch, and when you are dead, I will lick your bones!" Vendice seemed to squeal in pleasure. But suddenly, Lise struggled upright.  
  
"Witch. You'll never get rid of me as long as Bigieu is still alive..." Lise felt herself sway, but stayed confident in her statement. Vendice growled. "I'll...make you...the first casualty of my vengeance towards her..." The Starlancer lifted her spear and began to chant.  
  
"You can try, pretty Queen..." Vendice purred, her good eye glowing, "but the only casualty in this fight will be you!!"  
  
*~*  
  
With Lise lethally poisoned, how is it possible that she could defeat Vendice, who has the upper hand?  
  
*~*  
  
Cliffhanger, because I'm already going to hell. And you will too if you don't review!!! 


	17. A Nightblade's Love

A/N: Wow...it's been awhile. Uhh...so two hospitalizations later I'm back! Yay. Now we can tie up that little cliffhanger....hehe...  
  
The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Lise writhed on the ground, emerald blood gushing from her leg. Vanadise stepped closer with each second, her good eye twisting in fury and anticipation.  
  
"...you filthy beast. You're no better than Dragon fodder..." whispered the Starlancer(1). The she-demon grinned, baring her yellow-stained teeth. Lise waited patiently; only a few more steps and the monster would be within striking range. She gripped her spear secretly.  
  
"And this is the time when the mighty Queen falls...the time when the Kingdom of Rolante falls to the hands of the Underworld. And the time when I finally get my snack!" Vanadise snarled and opened her jaws wide. With great effort, Lise lifted her heavy spear and plunged it deep into the creature's gaping mouth. Frozen in place, Vanadise did not make a sound.  
  
"You're wrong. This is the time when the Underworld will fall..." Lise whispered, and then collapsed onto the stone floor, and shortly after Vanadise shuddered and then fell, closing her one eye. Shichi tiptoed over and poked at each contestant with her small foot.  
  
"Ladies and gents! I'm not sure how to call this one..." she trailed off, frowning at the unmoving forms on the arena floor, "We can only hope that at least one wakes up in time to be crowned winner of this match."  
  
"Stop!" Hawk screamed at the top of his lungs, turning every head within earshot. He bounded over the wall and ran over to the fallen Queen. "Lise! Lise, you gotta wake up!"  
  
"Hawk! Damnit..." Duran yelled as well, following the Nightblade's suit. "Why do you always gotta be some big dramatic fool?" Hawk turned and glared at his companion.  
"Shut up Duran! Like you wouldn't do the same thing if Angela was in this kind of danger! And why speak out at a fool when you are one!!" the thief snarled and turned back towards Lise. However, Duran grabbed Hawk's shoulder and roughly turned him around.  
"She's going to be fine you big idiot! Look, the medics are already coming! You don't have to worry—" Duran was cut off by Hawk's backhand whipping across his face.  
"Am I not allowed to have at least ONE BIT OF love within me? I am not some lumbering mercenary like you!" Hawk shouted, tears in his eyes. "I love her, Duran. I really do." Then, Hawk fell to his knees before Lise's lifeless body and began to weep. Still shocked by Hawk's motion, Duran stood still watching the medics pour the anti-venom into Lise's mouth before whisking her away with Hawk alongside her.  
'I didn't know that a Nightblade was capable of love. King Richard always said that one who steals from others steals from his own soul...' Duran thought before turning to leave the arena.  
  
"Is she going to be okay??"  
  
"Yes sir, she will."  
  
Lise laid motionless on a white linen bed, doctors fussing over her wounds like hornets. The head nurse was trying to persuade Hawk to leave. However, Hawk wasn't budging.  
  
"See? Lookit there, he's doing that wrong." Hawk shouted and pushed the doctor tending to Lise's head out of the way. "You asshole! Do it right!"  
  
"MR. HAWK." The head nurse shouted in retort, "Please leave the infirmary until Miss Lise recovers!" Hawk was then promptly shoved out of the way by two of the guards.  
  
"Bah! Doctors! You'll never get rid of me!" Hawk screamed, pounding on the infirmary door, "You all shall face my wrath!!"  
  
"I see that she's still being worked on, huh Hawk?" Heath's voice of reason reached Hawk's ears. Turning around the thief met a smiling face.  
"The idiot doctors are doing everything wrong...I--"  
"You really love her don't you? You're acting like me when Koren was in danger. I wish I could bring you some comfort, so I only brought tea." Heath said gently and held out the cup to the Nightblade.  
  
"We can try as hard as we can to keep those we love out of harm's way. But without pain comes no learning mistakes or becoming stronger." Heath gently spoke, "If we could just wish that our loved ones could always be safe..." he paused, looking sad for a moment, "then we wouldn't have a relationship with them that ties ourselves to their lives." Hawk took this in, sipping on his tea.  
"You're right. I should've realized that. It's just that when Lise was in danger...my feelings took over and I felt powerless to do what I did. Does that make sense?" Heath nodded wisely, "I feel like I have to take care of her no matter what."  
  
"That's how we feel about one's we love." Heath smiled and sipped his own tea. Suddenly, the door knob turned from the infirmary and the doctor stepped out and smiled at Hawk.  
  
"She's come around. Would you..."  
"LISE!" Hawk rushed forward to the room and quickly came to Lise's bedside. Lise's pale blue eyes met Hawk's golden ones.  
"Hawk...?" She whispered and reached her hand up.  
"Don't worry I'm here!" Hawk readily replied and reached to meet Lise's hand.  
Smack.  
"You big fool! You could've gotten yourself killed! Why did you try and save me! Just like a man would...just like a man!" The queen shouted angrily, tears filling her eyes. "You could've been hurt and you still..."  
"Yeah...I still did. Your words sting more than your slap, by the way." Hawk said jokingly. Lise smiled peacefully and touched the damaged cheek. Slowly she brought his face down and met his lips with her own. There they stayed until a giggle interrupted them. Turning about quickly, Hawk found Heath with his hand over his mouth, trying to suppress even more giggles.  
"I hope you both don't kiss and tell."  
  
"We're leaving!" Angela sang happily, tying her bag close with a pink ribbon. Carlie was bouncing off the walls holding her bag as well. Duran sat on his bed, head in his hand, thinking.  
"Looks like you're going home too Duran! Come on, be happy! You'll finally be at home with your father for the first time in a long time!" Angela chirped. Duran turned to face her.  
"Yeah I guess so. Angela...did you learn about different classes when you were in school?"  
"Pfft. Duran, haven't you learned anything?" the Princess asked in mock-scold, "I didn't pay attention in school, that's Koren's thing.(2) But...I think we did at least once. Didn't listen though!" She giggled and flopped over to Duran's bed. "Whydjoo ask?"  
"Because...King Richard once told me that Nightblade class thieves cannot feel emotion. They can't even feel a bit of compassion for anything else but their mission. So how can Hawk..."  
"Well there's your answer right there Duran," Angela interrupted, "Hawk. This is the lady-lover we're talking about. He's a pervert through and through, we shouldn't argue over his lust." She smirked and grabbed her bag.  
"Well, we gotta go now."  
  
"Excited?" Heath asked quietly to Koren, who had just finished packing his things in a large leather box.  
"More than you'll ever know. I truly miss Altena snowstorms...I love the snow you know. Though...I'm too thin to stand it for long you know.(3)" Smiling, Koren gazed into Heath's eyes. "What about you?"  
"...Well...You know I can't return to Wendel so I don't know where I could take you except the Mirage Palace." Heath replied and flipped through a book absentmindedly. "Do you mind?"  
"Not at all! I'd like to meet your leader. But you can't meet the Dragon Emperor, Drakonis."  
"Why not?"  
"He's...interesting. And if I told him you and I were seeing each other..." Koren mumbled off, then found his voice again, "he'd be very embarrassing."  
"Koren..." Heath chuckled and walked over to the magician. "I could never be embarrassed about us. Nothing that ever happens could change that." Smiling, the Mirage Mage kissed Koren deeply. Releasing, Koren smiled and grabbed his things.  
"Let's go, we'll miss the boat."  
  
The month long break has finally arrived, and our favorite couples will be spending some much needed time with each other...but what will happen when cultures clash and...well, you can guess the rest.  
  
1= Lise is a me if I'm wrong about this. It's been awhile.  
  
2= Taken from the description of Koren in "Seeing Red" by EvilFrickinPopTart. A great read by the way!  
  
3= Ditto!  
  
phew Please R&R! 


	18. The Homicidal Couple

Author's Note: ...God, that last chapter sucked. I accept that.  
  
But this chapter is all about your favorite couple...Duran and Angela! Yay! Enjoi.  
  
The Grand Tournament  
  
Chapter 17  
  
"If we...ever make it to Forcena...I will personally kick your ass..." Angela panted, crawling up the hill with much struggle, "You hear me? I will kill you..."  
Flammie had accidentally missed her mark on dropping the pair off at Forcena, and instead dropped the pair off in the middle of the Molebear Highlands. This left the two to hike the bumpy way to Forcena. Duran was faring well, being a native and all...but the royal pain was trudging behind like a lazy Poto.  
"Angela, stop being a drama queen and get your fat ass up this hill or..."  
"FAT ASS? DIE DURAN, DIE!" And suddenly the Princess wasn't so lethargic anymore...  
  
Finally arriving in the grasslands kingdom, Duran bolted for the castle with a pissed off Magus following loyally. Unfortunately for Duran, luck and grace were not on his side and he tripped while trying to race up the stairs to the castle. It was then that the beast pounced. The screaming ball of two teens scrambling around rolled into the center of the town, setting a spectacle for the whole town.  
"WITCH!"  
"ASSHOLE!"  
"Hey! There are children here..." one concerned citizen spoke out.  
"SHUT UP!"  
"Oh in the name of all under the Goddess's eyes..." King Richard boomed out, freezing the fight in place. Duran quickly stood and dusted himself off before giving his salute. Angela fussed over her hair instead of paying the king any attention.  
"Sir, King Richard sir! I apologize for this...uhm..."  
"Public Stupidness." King Richard finished the Swordmaster's statement, and then smiled, "But I suppose that could be overlooked."  
"Thank you sir, how generous of you!" Duran beamed and bowed, leaving his head exposed to Angela's staff long enough to earn a new bump on his head.  
"Suck up. Uh, Richard sir?" Angela mumbled without a care, sending Duran into a silent fury, "Do you have any showers here? Or, maybe a nice hot spring?"  
"Well...we do have a spring here..." the King replied waving his hand towards the east, "But..."  
"Oh thank you sir! Your...kinglyness(1) sir oh kingy sir!" Angela squealed and dashed off towards the spring. Duran turned to the king.  
"But?"  
"It's currently infested with leeches."  
  
Sunset settled over the kingdom, bringing a golden gift to its citizens. Faint screams from the spring were overshadowed by the merriment within the castle. King Richard held a private dinner for Duran's return, and food filled the empty stomach of the traveling mercenary.  
"So then, believe it or not sir, Koren DID defeat his opponent! Much to my surprise, sir." Duran retold the stories of the tournament to the King, who was quite fascinated with the enemy's strategies.  
"I hope that you took careful note of his movements," the King remarked, sipping his drink, "It will aid you very much when you finally face off with him."  
"Yes, your majesty...I expect that it will." Duran replied reluctantly. The monarch raised an eyebrow.  
"Duran, do not tell me that you are now soft towards our foe..."  
"No sir! I would neve—-"  
"Good, because that would mean that you are friendly towards the Altenians, which I absolutely forbid." Richard slammed down his chalice, "They are NOTHING but pesky sorcerers and witches who have absolutely no sense of what's right and..." the King silenced himself, seeing Angela standing at his side with her arms crossed. The princess was fuming with anger, and Richard swore he saw some smoke rise out of her ears.  
"Well," the Princess huffed, "If I wasn't welcome here you could have told me so, SIR." She added a hiss to the last word and stormed off, slamming the dining hall doors. The room fell silent and then was filled with hushed whispers. The King was an absolute red.  
"...I didn't...mean..." King Richard muttered and then sighed, took his chalice, and stood. "Duran, please follow me."  
  
Out on the balcony, Richard looked out at the sunset before turning to his knight.  
"Duran, I will not live this lie any longer." He started, and then took a deep breath. "I was once engaged to the then Princess Valda of Altena."  
"What?!?" Duran shouted, but was quickly silenced with a glare from the king. "I mean...sir?"  
"Yes...it was long ago when our parents betrothed us to bring peace between Altena and Forcena. We...were very much in love, and swore to each other that we would rule our countries justly and fairly. But one day, Valda began to act differently. She started to hate things she once loved, including myself, and called the marriage off. However..."  
"However, sir?" Duran asked, eyes wide with innocent eagerness.  
"Valda left bearing a child."  
"You mean...that you're Angela's father sir?"  
"Yes." The King sighed. "And I have never told her out of fear that she would be disgusted having a Forcenan father. So the secret has been kept all these years with the exception of me and Valda, and now you."  
"Sir, Highness, why did you tell me then? Someone as lowly as I is not worthy of..." Duran whispered, and the King chuckled. Richard turned to him bright eyed and smiling.  
"Because, Duran, I see how you look at Angela and I know that look. It is the look Loki said I often had in my eyes when I looked at Valda. And so I know that you truly care about her, and should know the truth about her." Richard sipped his drink and sighed once more. "But I warn you never to tell her. The truth might be too much."  
"Yes sir. I understand, she might not be too happy with the news. I heard that Queen Valda treats her badly enough." Duran stated and looked up at the now starry sky. "Your majesty?"  
"Yes Duran?"  
"Could you...tell me more about my father?" Duran mumbled and sent the king reminiscing under the night sky. However, Duran's mind wandered from time to time.  
'I can't tell him what happened to my father. The truth that the Dragon Emperor enslaved him would be too much...just like the truth about Angela would hurt her. I guess father will have to remain incognito until we figure something out to say.'  
  
Angela sat at the corner table of the tavern, empty baskets all around her.  
'I always had the nasty tendency of binge eating when I'm angry.' She fumed, and uncrossed then recrossed her arms. She glanced over at the other tables where soldiers were looking at her with uncertainty.  
"WHAT?!? Stop staring at me!" Angela shouted, making the entire tavern jump then quickly look away. "DAMNIT, I hate this place!"  
"Miss..." a waitress pleaded, "Please don't upset the other customers, they're just curious why an Altenian would come to a little ol' town like this." Angela looked up at the girl, probably not any older than she with curly blonde hair and big breasts. Typical waitress.  
"I don't understand what being Altenian has to do with being interesting. It's like being Forcenan! I'm just like the rest of you!" The Princess yelled, slamming her fists on the table. The waitress winced, then sat down opposite of Angela.  
"Of course you're like us! Y'all are people just like us." The waitress said, smiling. "But whatchuall gotta understand is that we ain't exactly used to seeing people with...uhh...ears like that. Plus, you can't blame these men, they're always looking for a new one-night stand."  
"Wow, just like in Altena." Angela giggled, making the girl do the same. "What's your name?"  
"Rosette, nice ta' meet cha." She replied, winking. "Oh, and I already know who you are, you're the Princess! Mah goddess, aren't you just pretty." Angela blushed.  
"Thanks, how bout you share this basket of chocolates with me?"  
"I'd be delighted."  
  
"So tell me why is it that people feel they can judge others? They judge them on who they love or what they look like or what race they are." Angela sighed, biting into a chocolate. "Makes no sense."  
"Aw, honey, people just like to feel superior to those who look a bit different. Jus' means that person must be afraid." Rosette replied, fixing her hair ribbon. "We country folk are just a li'l funny, ya know? Different from you city gals, but boy, would I ever love to visit Altena some day and become an actress!"  
"Is that what you want to do?" Angela asked.  
"Sure is. I gots family in Altena too, I'm a half blood. Ya know," she paused and tilted her head, "part Forcena and part Altena. Gotta be proud of the family ya got though. S'only links you have to this world. And your friends, doesn't matter what people say, if you trust ya friends then ya must be pretty happy."  
"...That makes sense Rosette. Maybe...I should be nicer to him..."  
"Him who?"  
"Oh, his name's Duran, isn't he like famous here or something?" Angela inquired, stuffing three more chocolates in her mouth.  
"Sure is. He's the strongest soldier out there in our army. We're pretty fond of our military here, s'all we gots besides our families. Listen hon," she said gently, standing up, "you treat your friends like they treat you and everything will be okay. Now...I gotta get back to tend all these soldiers. Nice talking to ya!" she giggled and waved goodbye.  
"Thanks! Good luck as an actress!" Angela replied, and then sighed a little.  
'I feel so much better now...I think I'll go talk to Duran and apologize about shouting earlier.' She thought, and put money on the table, plus a big tip, and left.  
  
Duran sat on his bed, looking out the window at the triple moons rising. A gentle knock on the door disturbed him from his relaxed stupor.  
"Duran?" Angela asked timidly, gently pushing the door open and walking in. "Hey."  
"Hey."  
"Duran, I'm so sorry for being really disrespectful to the King and you today. It was very rude of me...and I shouldn't have acted that way, despite how many leeches sucked on me today." The Magus giggled and watched the knight smile.  
"It's okay Ange. I know how intense you can get sometimes." Duran replied and turned to the window. "Look at those moons..." Angela smiled and walked over to his bed and sat down next to him. She gazed out the window.  
  
"Absolutely beautiful." Duran commented, and was then silenced with Angela's lips against his. When they pulled apart, Duran looked at her with amazement. "What was that?"  
"My apology, only more so." Angela replied and kissed him once more, loving the burning feeling she felt as their mouths met. Duran placed a hand on her hip and wasn't pushed away when he began to stroke her stomach. Angela pulled away and smiled and tugged at Duran's shirt. And together, they both enjoyed the moonlight.  
  
"Duran?"  
"Hmm?"  
Angela snuggled closer to Duran's naked body, sighing happily. "I really like it here. It's not filled with the smell of gunpowder like Altena is. And the nights are quiet, only filled by crickets chirping."  
Duran smiled and snaked his arms around the Magus's slender form. "I'm glad you like it. I missed it a lot." Angela absentmindedly began to twirl his hair.  
"What are you going to say to the King about Loki? Are you going to tell him the truth?"  
"No." Duran replied quickly and shook his head, "It's like saying that your mother is under Koren's control. It'd be too much of a shock.(2)"  
"Yeah...I guess so." Angela replied and kissed Duran's neck. Duran smiled and ran his fingers through her silky hair, stopping at her neck.  
"You look so beautiful in this moonlight Angie." Duran whispered and kissed her strongly.  
"So do you Duran."  
  
Breakfast the next morning was very quiet for the two warriors, and King Richard sensed some kind of tension between them. Angela kept looking down at her plate, blushing, and Duran absentmindedly stared at the ceiling corners. King Richard smiled to himself and then cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention to him.  
"How did you guys sleep last night?" he asked innocently, and wasn't too surprised by an obviously embarrassed response.  
"Uh...Angela slept very well—--I mean!" Duran turned a deep crimson and Angela dropped her clattered her fork against her plate, "I mean...uhm, she was snoring and all so..."  
"Snoring?" Angela retorted, "You should talk! I didn't sleep well at all because of you, you talk while you sleep!"  
"Do not!"  
"Do so! All you could talk about was: 'MM, Hawk...mm...'"  
"I NEVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT!"  
"YOU DID SO YOU BIG OAF, ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR?!?" As the two bickered, King Richard chuckled to himself and quietly sipped his tea.  
"Just like me and Valda...nothing ever changes between two people in love." He said quietly, so low that the two didn't hear him over their yelling.  
"FOR SOMEONE WHO'S FREAKED BY MEN WHO LIKE MEN YOU SURE ARE A HYPOCRITE!"  
"AM NOT! COME OVER HERE AND SAY THAT!"  
"GLADLY YOU JERK!"  
"WITCH!"  
"ASSHOLE!"  
  
Aww, isn't it cute? They're trying to kill each other!  
  
1) Not the verb. The noun, which probably doesn't exist, but this is Angela we're talking bout.  
  
2) Ha ha, yeah I know. Shut up. 


End file.
